Connecticut Land Conservation Conference

New England’s forests, and the land trusts that conserve and steward many of these forests, are an underrated asset in the fight against climate change. Forests already sequester the equivalent of 14 percent of carbon emissions across the six states and are capable of much more.

Through five complementary strategies, forests could sequester 21 percent of carbon emissions while also enhancing critical co-benefits such as cleaner air and water, greater recreational opportunities, and jobs. These strategies include avoided deforestation, wildland reserves, improved forest management, mass timber construction, and urban and suburban forests.

Spencer Meyer, co-author of the 2022 Highstead report titled “New England’s Climate Imperative: Our Forests as a Natural Climate Solution”, will illustrate some of the important roles that land trusts can play in addressing climate change and removing carbon from the atmosphere through both active and passive forms of land stewardship.