Forest management and carbon market integration at Clemson University forest

Forest carbon offset programs are emerging as critical tools in mitigating climate change that support sustainable forest management. This study evaluates the carbon sequestration potential and economic viability of 13 distinct forest management scenarios using forest growth simulator (FVS) under both the Climate Action Reserve (CAR) and the American Carbon Registry (ACR) offset protocols. Scenarios included intensive practices such as clear-cutting with artificial regeneration, intermediate treatments like thinning and shelterwood, and passive approaches such as no management and prescribed burning. The no management (M0) scenario yielded the highest cumulative carbon storage but lacked the economic returns necessary for landowners' profit from selling the timber at mills. Conversely, high-grading and repeated clear-cutting scenarios resulted in lower carbon sequestration but higher net present value (NPV) for pine, but less for hardwood and mixed. Notably, the CAR protocol consistently generated greater offsets than ACR due to differences in baseline assumptions and accounting methodologies. This research highlights the trade-offs between carbon sequestration and economic returns. These findings offer actionable insights for landowners, policymakers, and offset program designers aiming to enhance climate benefits through forest management strategies. • Forest carbon offset programs help address climate change while supporting sustainable forest management. • This study evaluated 13 forest management scenarios using FVS under CAR and ACR carbon offset protocols. • M5, M9, and M10 scenarios produced higher NPVs across pine, hardwood, and mixed forest stands. • CAR produced higher carbon offsets than ACR due to differences in baseline assumptions and accounting methods. • Analysis shows a trade-off between maximizing carbon storage and economic returns in forest management planning.