PEM has initiated a project to monitor, verify and account for carbon in Maine's forests. The purpose of the project is to quantify and understand carbon flux in a variety of forest settings including conservation lands, afforested lands, working forests and forests in urban environments. In combination with PEM's isotopic and associated analyzers, forest carbon flux data will be integrated with PEMs financial mechanisms to create verified carbon credits. The core activities of the Maine Forest Carbon Project (MFCP) involve monitoring, verification and accounting (MVA) of forest carbon. The dynamic nature of forest ecosystems and the inevitable influence of changing climatic patterns (e.g., rainfall, temperature) on Maine's forests require real-time MVA for verifiable carbon credit data. PEM's technologies and products are designed to go well beyond estimation. Maine's 17+ million acres of forest are unique and represent a vast natural resource of the State of Maine.

One of the goals of this effort is provide the public with a working knowledge of Maine's forests—a window into the science and the reality of the forest as place, as provider of ecosystem services and as an economic asset. PEM hosted a workshop on May 27th, 2011. The agenda for the workshop can be found by clicking here.

PEM's office is located at the Maine Center for Enterprise Development (www.mced.biz), 120 Exchange Street, Suite 206, Portland, ME 0401, and is also the location of the MFCP's activities.

Upcoming MFCP Event Dates: Webinar, Monday, October 24, 6 to 7 pm.

Due to the difficulty of finding a meeting time and place suitable to participants I have scheduled a webinar.  Please see details below.

Title: PEM Maine Forest Working Grou, Monthly Meeting

Description: PEM Inc. will host a webinar on Monday, Oct. 24, 2011, 6:00 to 7:00 pm. The webinar will feature an introduction to PEMs forest carbon program under development. Participants will join via the web after registration. Seating is limited. We look forward to seeing you. Please contact me, bruno.marino@pem-carbon.com, with any questions.

Date & Time: Monday, October 24th, 2011 at 6:00 pm EDT

Please register for the above meeting by visiting this link: http://BrunoMarino.enterthemeeting.com/m/RUG8681M

Once you have registered, we will send you the information you need to join the webinar.

Brief Agenda:

• Introduction to PEM
• Overview of Forest Carbon Measurement
• A Forest Carbon Credit Program for Maine

PEM's Annual MCFP Forum is scheduled for March 1, 9am to 5pm, Location: TBD. Agenda and updates will be posted here.

Project highlights

• Creation of a database of historical, scientific and policy information specific to Maine's forests that is freely accessible
• Establishing a long term Maine forest working group consisting of scientists, students, landowners, policy makers and other stakeholders
• Hosting working group meetings around a variety of topics and speakers (times and locations to be announced)
• Sponsoring an annual open forum addressing the future of Maine's forests in the context of climate change and forest carbon sequestration

Project Goals

• Develop a phased strategy for carbon trading in Maine providing a basis for grant applications and related funding
• With funding, establish real-time carbon flux monitoring of selected portions of Maine's forest with PEMs Global Monitor Platform
• Make recommendations for creation of unique carbon products that may be of value in the states Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
• Integrate Maine's forest carbon dynamics with the States greenhouse gas budget
• Promote stewardship and conservation of Maine's forests and the ecosystem services they provide

Project Results

• White papers (e.g., unpublished reports for discussion purposes) bringing together aspects of forest science, climate change data relevant to Maine and economic and public perspectives on the future of Maine's forests
• Student papers and presentations
• Metadata archive for diverse topics on Maine's forests

Maine's Forests: A Brief History

Maine's forests have undergone substantial change over the last 200 years resulting in widespread deforestation and regrowth related to agriculture, lumber production, the paper industry and urban expansion (see, for example: J.M. Acheson, Maine on the cusp of the forest transition. Human Organization vol 67(2) 2008). Human activities have had profound effects on the ecological features of Maine's forests and will continue to impact the forests composition and productivity. At the time of the American Revolution it is estimated that 65,000 people lived in Maine compared to 1.3+ million inhabitants today. The original, old growth forest in Maine represents a very small percentage of current forest cover (e.g., www.maintreefoundation.org). The interactive map below can be explored by clicking on areas of interest. Conserved lands are shown as shaded areas; clicking a point on the map reveals additional information. The map was produced by Jared Donisvitch.  

The Google Earth Based Interactive Map

 

PEM MFCP Working Group Activities

• PEM is hosting monthly meetings focused on a variety of topics including review of scientific and policy publications, discussion of forest monitoring approaches and development of a credible process to establish data for carbon financial products
• White papers and other working documents will be posted to this website and available for discussion and commentary (email maineforest@pem-carbon.com to be notified of postings)
• Planning of an open forum event in for presentations and discussion of aspects of Maine Forest Carbon--speakers and format to be determined (email maineforest@pem-carbon.com to be notified of the event)

PEM Related Activities in the Planning Stages

• Create a photo montage of Maine's forests comparing specific locations represented in photographs through time
• Summary of data for Maine's forests in the late Holocene
• Review of Maine's greenhouse gas budget and implications for emissions reductions linked to the State's Climate Change Act (LD 845, 2003) and RGGI membership

For further information please contact PEM (maineforest@pem-carbon.com).