Here's how Maine's forest carbon credit market work

MAINE, USA — Forest carbon credits are gaining traction in Maine. Yet as the voluntary carbon market picks up , some in the industry are worried about access for small family forest landowners with fewer resources than corporations who manage bigger plots of land.

In order to participate in the market where carbon credits are bought and sold, a forest landowner first needs to understand exactly how much carbon their trees are capable of storing. The science behind the forest carbon market is based on the fundamental lesson taught in school: like us, trees “breathe.”

Unlike us, however, trees take in carbon dioxide and hang on to it over long periods of time in a process called carbon sequestration. When certain climate-friendly management practices are followed, the carbon stored