Statewide Conservation & Preservation Plan

Minnesota Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan Forest Values & Carbon Markets: Opportunities for Minnesota 2/26/09

A comprehensive inventory and assessment of Minnesota’s environment and natural resources
Status check on our natural resources
Identify drivers causing change in our resources
Identify key issues affecting our natural resources
Recommendations for actions to change course for better outcomes for our natural resources
What is the Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan?

LCCMR strategic planning/RFPs
Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council
Agency planning
New legislation
Local governments
Why was the Plan created and how is it being used?

Final Plan Status of Natural Resources Strategic Framework Mapped to Key Issues Habitat Loss Land Use Practice Transportation Energy Use, Mercury Resulting in Strategic Areas for Action Integrated Planning Critical Land Protection Land & Water Restoration Sustainability Practices Economic Incentives for Sustainability PHASE II: Soil Erosion Nutrient Loading Solids Loading Toxics Loading Habitat Fragmentation Consumptive Use Hydrologic Modification Invasive Species GHG emissions Affected by Drivers of Change Air Water Land Fish Wildlife Recreation PHASE I:

Final Plan Value of the Recommendation for Climate Change Mitigation or Adaptation

UM Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) research has shown a large potential for producing cellulosic ethanol from forest biomass
Potential for 0.5 to 1 billion gallons of ethanol
Hybrid poplar plantations have the potential to produce approximately 5 tons/ac
Other potential sources include thinning of aspens and red pines, roundwood, harvest residue from logging operations, and brushlands harvesting
Biomass and carbon sequestration research

Another study by the UM for the DNR (UM 2008) shows that perennial crops sequester more carbon than annual row crops
Producing cellulosic ethanol from perennial tree crops would sequester more atmospheric carbon than any other production technique
Converting row crops to short rotation woody tree crops (such as hybrid poplar) would sequester nearly 2 tons of carbon/year
Converting row crops to perennial grasses would only sequester about 0.4 tons carbon/ year
Biomass and carbon sequestration research

Land Use - Forestry 1: Protect large blocks of forested land for ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change
Land Use - Forestry 3: Support and expand sustainable practices on working forested lands, including developing and testing new management practices for forest management as a carbon sequestration tool
Resilience to climate change and Carbon sequestration

Energy 3: Invest in perennial biofuel and energy crop research and demonstration projects on a landscape scale
Energy 4: Develop policies and incentives to encourage perennial crop production for biofuels in critical environmental areas
Carbon sequestration

Habitat 1: Protect priority land habitats
Habitat 2: Protect critical shorelands of streams and lakes
Adaptation to climate change must be considered
In the face of climate change we should still protect critical areas, however, the nature of these critical areas may change
Research is needed
Adaptation to climate change

0 0 Vulnerable key habitat by township and by Ecological Subsection High/Green = higher habitat value and higher threats Low/Yellow = lower habitat value and lower threats How will these key habitat priorities change with climate change?

Mitigation of climate change
Energy 16: Provide incentives to transition a portion of Minnesota’s vehicle fleet to electrical power, while simultaneously increasing renewable electricity production for transportation
Energy 17: Encourage carbon-neutral businesses, homes, communities
Transportation 2: Reduce per capita vehicle miles of travel (VMT) through compact mixed-use development and multi-modal and intermodal transportation systems

Project Goal To achieve a better future for Minnesota ’ s natural resources

Access the plan at: www.lccmr.leg.mn/ Questions about the Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan or this presentation: Jean Coleman 612-588-4904 jcoleman@crplanning.com

Statewide Conservation & Preservation Plan

by Becky LaPlant

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