October 12, 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia: ERA Carbon Offsets Ltd. (TSX¬-V: ESR) through its 100% owned subsidiary ERA Ecosystem Restoration Associates Inc, (ERA) is pleased to announce Canada’s first carbon project involving a unique public-private partnership. The Denman Island Conservation Project will protect over 750 hectares of ecologically sensitive lands, distributed over 18 properties on Denman Island in British Columbia.
The public-private partnership involving the British Columbia Government, North Denman Island Lands Inc, ERA Ecosystem Restoration Associates Inc (ERA), and the Forest Carbon Group AG (FCG) uses an innovative agreement involving land donations, the transfer of local development rights, and carbon sequestration rights. This multifaceted agreement enabled the British Columbia Government to purchase the land for future inclusion in the BC parks and protected areas system. Without this partnership the future park area, approximately 15% of Denman Island, would have been slated for subdivision into residential properties and agricultural properties including vineyards and hayfields.
The newly protected lands are within the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone, one of the rarest zones in B.C. The acquisition also includes land within the Chickadee Lake watershed and a previously logged area that provides habitat for the globally endangered Taylor's Checkerspot butterfly.
“Achieving the protection of such a large amount of both private and Crown land demonstrates that capital investment can effectively be put to the service of community and conservation goals,” said Henning Nielsen of North Denman Lands Inc.
Dr. Robert Falls, ERA’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “This project represents groundbreaking leadership in climate policy and environmental stewardship, using creative public–private partnerships – a triple win for the province, the environment and the climate. The rich biodiversity of B.C.’s forest ecosystems makes the province, and in particular the Pacific Coast, an ideal setting for high quality forest-based carbon offset programming.”
Alexander Zang, FCG’s Director, commented: “We’re pleased to continue our partnership with ERA and contribute to strengthening Denman Island’s natural environment.”
About The Forest Carbon Group AG.
The Forest Carbon Group works to protect and restore forests. Driven by the idea that ecology and economy should mutually benefit from one another, it invests in and co-develops large-scale forestry projects world-wide. These projects not only give value to forests’ ecosystem services but also have many social co-benefits that enable involved communities to create sustainable local economies. The Forest Carbon Group offers companies tailor-made solutions for becoming more sustainable and carbon neutral using the mechanisms of the voluntary carbon market. The full service approach includes identifying, developing and financing forestry projects, and providing guidance in marketing and communications to leverage the potential of companies’ sustainable investment. The Forest Carbon Group offers real, additional, and verifiable VERs that are approved and audited by internationally renowned third parties. Founded in 2009, the Forest Carbon Group consists of spec ialists with many years’ experience in carbon markets, forestry, project development, marketing, communications and financing. The company’s headquarter is in Frankfurt, Germany.
Additional information on The Forest Carbon Group can be found at www.forestcarbongroup.ag or by contacting contact@forestcarbongroup.de
About ERA Carbon Offsets Ltd.
ERA is a Canadian pioneer in forest restoration and conservation carbon offset projects. The company’s Community Ecosystem Restoration Program located in the Lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, began in 2005 in the District of Maple Ridge, and has grown to include five communities including Metro Vancouver. ERA has delivered over 1,000,000 tonnes of carbon offsets to the voluntary market and is engaged in the development of forest carbon projects in Canada, Africa and the Hawaiian Islands to supply international and North American voluntary and pre-compliance markets. ERA’s clients and product users include Air Canada, Catalyst Paper, HSE – Entega, Rolling Stone Magazine, Shell Canada Limited, The Forest Carbon Group, and The Globe Foundation of Canada. ERA’s carbon offsets are being validated to the ISO 14064, CCBA, and VCS standards.
Additional information on ERA can be found on the corporate website www.eracarbonoffsets.com or by contacting investor@eracarbonoffsets.com
On behalf of the Board of Directors of
ERA CARBON OFFSETS LTD.
“Robert Falls”
Chief Executive Officer
For further information, please contact:
Alex Langer,
Telephone: 604-646-0400
Email: alex.langer@eraecosystems.com
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This document includes forward-looking statements as well as historical information. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the continued advancement of the company’s general business development, research development and the company’s development of forest-based carbon offsets. When used in this document, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intent”, “may”, “project”, “plan”, “should” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Although ERA Carbon Offsets Ltd. believes that their expectations reflected in these forward looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include fluctuations in the marketplace for the sale of carbon credits, the inability to implement corporate strategies, the ability to obtain financing and other risks disclosed in our filings made with Canadian Securities Regulators.
NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
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