Oregon approves plan to enroll entire Elliott State Forest in carbon credit market

The Oregon State Land Board recently approved a plan to enroll the Elliott State Forest in the voluntary carbon credit market.  The forest spans more than 80,000 acres in southwestern Oregon near Coos Bay. Oregon is the second state behind Michigan to dedicate an entire state forest to storing harmful carbon emissions and selling the credits. State officials say the plan will help the state meet its conservation and carbon emission goals, but it isn’t without controversy. Critics say the voluntary market lacks sufficient government oversight and regulation, and Oregon State University and the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians dropped out of the project late last year.
 
Brett Brownscombe is the Elliott State Research Forest transition director at the Oregon Department of State Lands. He joins us with more details about the plan.