Fires are burning down forests meant for carbon offsets. What happens after?

In 2021 Oregon’s Bootleg Fire burned over 400,000 acres in the southern part of the state. A good chunk of that forest area is managed by the Green Diamond Resource Company.

But the Bootleg fire didn’t just mean a reduction in the amount of lumber Green Diamond could harvest; in recent years the company, like many other landowners and forest managers, has begun designating land for carbon offsets.

Companies like Microsoft bought the carbon sequestered on the Green Diamond land to offset the carbon they produce from fossil fuels elsewhere.

But that didn’t matter to the Bootleg Fire. Worsening wildfires are threatening efforts to sequester carbon, and prompting some to question if the carbon offset system is really as green as it’s being sold.

Journalist Hal Bernton recently reported a story on the issue for Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Listen to the full Soundside interview by clicking "play" on the audio above.