Natsource Asset Management bought 60,000 tons of carbon offsets on behalf of its clients from a private forest owner represented by Pacific Forest Trust.The transaction is the first commercial trade of certified emissions reductions under the Forest Protocols adopted last fall by the California Air Resources Board. The Forest Protocols are administered by the California Climate Action Registry.

The CO2 emissions reductions purchased by Natsource clients were created by PFT’s Van Eck Forest Project, in Humboldt County, CA, that uses the CO2 storage capabilities of a working redwood forest. Owned by the Fred M. van Eck Forest Foundation, the 2,200 acre forest is permanently protected by a conservation easement. It is managed by the Pacific Forest Trust to increase carbon stores, restore biodiversity and produce sustainable timber supplies.