By Michael J. Coren & Dan Kopf
Highlights
- Houston based nonprofit the Texas Coastal Exchange (TCX) has awarded grants to local landowners with marshlands on their property in order to prevent development on lands that help sequester carbon dioxide
- Jim Blackburn, the President of TCX, explains that by paying landowners for this service, they may in turn put in additional effort to protect the marshlands over time
- James Broussard from LaBelle Ranch, a grant recipient, says the grant gave him funds to maintain the property as is since the marshlands don’t provide any income for the ranch
- In order to pay landowners, the TCX uses a carbon offset fund with donations from people and corporations and raised $35,000 in their first year
- Each acre of coastal marshland can absorb about 2 tons of CO2 per year
- TCX also plans to expand to include grants for owners of coastal prairies and bottomlands
Implementing bold and equitable policies that will catalyze carbon sequestration through building healthy soils and restoring healthy habitats will be key to achieving drawdown greater than emissions (net-negative emissions) by 2030 for a climate-safe California.
Nina Turner
Energy Programs and Communications CoordinatorJanina is a graduate of the Energy Management and Design program at Sonoma State University with experience in non-profits that specialize in sustainability and volunteerism.
