Summary

Forestry projects with King County, City of Issaquah, and Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust -- along with several other partners throughout the country -- earned more than $1 million combined in the first bundled sale of carbon credits generated exclusively by urban forests.

Story

In a landmark purchase, city forests in King County received much-needed funding from the largest single urban forest carbon credit purchase in U.S. history.

The three city forestry projects with King County, the City of Issaquah, and the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, along with several other partners throughout the country, earned more than $1 million combined in the first bundled sale of carbon credits generated exclusively by urban forests.

The sale helps ensure urban forests are preserved to maintain their environmental and recreational benefits.

“Our region is now part of the largest sale of urban forest carbon credits in U.S. history, thanks to partnerships among King County, cities, and nonprofits,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “We will steward the newly protected urban forests so they can continue to absorb carbon, contribute to cleaner air and water, and create more greenspace where people, families, and communities can gather.”

Organizations selling carbon credits continue to own and manage the protected property. In this record-setting $1 million transaction, the nonprofit City Forest Credits issued the credits, which were then purchased by Regen Network Development, a blockchain software development company.

The City of Issaquah and King County partnered to purchase a 46-acre property in 2018 and save it from development. The sale of credits generated from Issaquah’s portion of the property — renamed the Harvey Manning Park Expansion Area because it shares a border with Harvey Manning Park — will aid the city in its goal to support urban forest management.

King County also acquired forestland that was added to Soaring Eagle Regional Park and 15 acres were included in an urban forest carbon project. The sale of those credits supports additional forestland acquisition and protection.

The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust generated carbon credits through an urban tree planting project at Ballinger Open Space, a 2.6-acre greenspace in the City of Shoreline.

Revenue from the carbon credit sale will support long-term site maintenance at Ballinger Open Space, where the Greenway Trust is committed to working through 2040 to guarantee tree establishment and developing a healthy neighborhood greenspace.

“City trees are a critical component to reverse and mitigate against the impacts of climate change,” said Jon Hoekstra, Executive Director for the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust. “We are excited about the opportunities carbon credits can provide as a new revenue source to support this important work.”

Executive Constantine in 2109 launched King County’s Forest Carbon Program, making it the first local government in the nation to offer certified carbon credits that protect local forests.

Relevant links

• King County's Forest Carbon Program
• Urban Restoration at Ballinger Open Space
• Harvey Manning Park Expansion Area

Quotes

Our region is now part of the largest sale of urban forest carbon credits in U.S. history, thanks to partnerships among King County, cities, and nonprofits. We will steward the newly protected urban forests so they can continue to absorb carbon, contribute to cleaner air and water, and create more greenspace where people, families, and communities can gather.

City trees are a critical component to reverse and mitigate against the impacts of climate change. We are excited about the opportunities carbon credits can provide as a new revenue source to support this important work.

For more information, contact:

Doug Williams, Department of Natural Resources and Parks, 206-477-4543
Thomas Rush, City of Issaquah, 425-837-3013
Katie Egresi, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, 206-678-2183