Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Nisga’a hope to profit from carbon


THE NISGA’A Lisims Government expects to develop a business in storing carbon through the planting of forests on its lands.

The expectation follows legislation unanimously enacted July 29 by the Nisga’a legislative assembly, the Wilp Si’ayuukhl Nisga’a.

The legislation amends the Nisga’a Forest Act to enable ecosystem restoration and carbon sequestration projects to take place on Nisga’a lands.

The new legislation grants the Nisga’a Lisims Government executive the authority to enter into ecosystem restoration and carbon rights agreements with designated contractors, indicates a release from the Lisims government.

“Under such an agreement, the Nisga’a Nation may grant an ecosystem restoration contractor the exclusive right to deal with the carbon credits that will be available in relation to the trees planted on Nisga’a Lands as part of an ecosystem restoration project,” the release continues.

“The purpose of the new legislation is twofold. First, and foremost, it will encourage the restoration of the areas of Nisga’a Lands that were devastated by logging that took place in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Second, it will enable economic benefits to be derived from the carbon that will be stored in the trees that will be planted in those restored areas, by taking advantage of emerging forest carbon sequestration markets.”

Nisga’a Lisims Government president Mitchell Stevens said the Nisga’a believe the carbon sequestration potential first of its kind in Canada when it comes to aboriginal governments.

“The ability of the Nisga’a Nation to govern its own land under the Nisga’a Treaty has allowed us to be at the forefront of a new and exciting development. This is something all Nisga’a can be proud of,” said Stevens,

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