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Native’s Northern Great Plains Improved Grazing Carbon Program Delivers 188,000 Carbon Removal Credits in its Second Verification

Native's Northern Great Plains Improved Grazing Carbon Program Delivers 188,000 Carbon Removal Credits in its Second Verification

Burlington, VT – Native, a Public Benefit Corporation and certified B Corp announced the successful completion of the second independent third-party audit of its Northern Great Plains Improved Grazing Carbon Program, one of the first and only verified improved grazing grasslands carbon programs in the US.

The project began in 2018 in collaboration with Western Sustainability Exchange (WSE) and now operates across 274,000 acres and 18 ranches.

The second verification confirms that the project generated 188,573 metric tonnes of carbon removal credits (Verified Carbon Units, or VCUs) across 151,421 acres and 12 ranches, bringing the project’s lifetime total to 245,081 VCUs under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard. These volumes are net of VERRA’s Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) buffer which withholds a portion of credits to mitigate future project non-permanence risk.

Group of people at an outdoor dig in a grassy field, listening to a speaker, with a trench and mountains in the background.

A Milestone Worth Measuring

The Northern Great Plains Improved Grazing Carbon Program supports ranchers across Montana in implementing grazing practices that build soil health, increase carbon storage, and strengthen long-term resilience for working rangelands.

Native developed and manages the program in partnership with Western Sustainability Exchange, a regional nonprofit with deep roots in the ranching community that supports the program implementation directly with participating producers on land planning and practice adoption.

The program continues to expand through its validated program area to portions of Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington states.

Man in a cap points at colorful maps on a wall while attendees watch on blue-collar tables with red boxes nearby.

How Verification Gets Done

The second verification is a milestone that reflects what happens when a program is built on a solid foundation.

The program was co-designed with the ranchers who know the land best and fosters their long-term stewardship goals. These foundations give the project the durability needed to be a high-integrity carbon removal project.

This second verification event included 8 new ranches, representing a significant expansion in the program that today has over 274,000 acres under contract.

Improved land stewardship alone doesn’t produce a carbon credit.

Between the ranches and the organizations that are interested in purchasing carbon credits sits a complex chain of data collection, analysis, modeling, reporting and an independent audit that eventually come together to verify performance and issue carbon credits.

It is the combination of the ranchers’ land stewardship and Native’s technical work translating that complexity into verified, audited, and rated outcomes that turns practice change on the ground into credits that hold up to the highest standards of the market.

Four men lean over a large map on a table outdoors, discussing plans in a dry, hilly landscape.

Built for the Market, Backed by Science

For ranchers, verification provides assurance that their stewardship efforts are generating 3rd party verified removals that meet the program’s requirements, and that the compensation they receive reflects genuine, high-quality climate outcomes.

For companies purchasing carbon credits, it offers confidence that those credits are backed by rigorous science, an independent audit, and a community of ranchers committed to the land for the long term.

Credits from the program’s first verification recently received a BeZero ‘A’ rating, the highest grade received by any regenerative grazing project to date. BeZero’s independent analysis evaluated the project on additionality, carbon accounting, and permanence, providing an external confirmation of what the program’s track record already demonstrates: this project meets the highest standards of environmental integrity, grounded in its design and evidence rather than registry certification alone.

Group of people outdoors bending over a hole in a dry grassy field, a shovel lying nearby under a blue sky.

Real Returns for Ranchers

Ranchers can receive upfront payments through Native’s HelpBuildTM program to help with infrastructure costs associated with improved grazing practices. These are also followed by payments tied to credit verification over the 40 year project duration.

The program also supports ranchers for the long term ecologically. These grazing practices lead to healthier soils, more resilient forage, and improved water infiltration and drought tolerance.

Because the program is built around core principles, landowners can work with their own trusted advisors to build an improved grazing management plan that works for their operation and goals. This creates lasting benefits and aligned outcomes for the land and the ranch business well beyond carbon credit payments.

Native and WSE are committed to building a program that delivers real climate impact and supports the livelihoods of the producers who steward these grasslands.

Ranchers interested in improving their productivity, their bottom line, and the long-term health of their land can reach WSE at info@westernsustainabilityexchange.org or 406-222-0730, or contact Tara Povalish at Native at tara.povalish@native.eco.

Native logo: circular woven globe in blue and orange to the left of the blue 'native' wordmark and gray subtitle 'A Public Benefit Corporation'

About Native

Native, a Public Benefit Corporation and certified B Corp, has developed 80+ carbon projects over 25 years, delivering 60M+ verified credits and catalyzing $250M+ in co-investment. Native’s HelpBuild™ model deploys early-stage capital into projects it designs, develops, and manages through their full crediting lifetimes. Learn more at www.native.eco.

Gabriele Haughian is the WSE Communications and Education Specialist

Gabriele Haughian is our new Communications and Marketing Specialist at WSE. Gabriele is a fourth-generation agriculturalist with a passion that runs deep for all things agriculture. The past five years, she has had the privilege of teaching agriculture, shop classes and advising FFA students. Gab thrives on engaging with people from diverse backgrounds and considers herself a lifelong learner. Born and raised in Montana, she has a profound appreciation for the diversity and agricultural significance of our Big Sky state. Gabriele and her husband Evan farm and ranch in Eastern MT, where they raise Black Angus cattle and grow irrigated hay. We are excited for Gab to be a part of our WSE team!

jessica harvey lilley farmers market assistant

Jessica Harvey Lilley was raised in Park County and attended MSU Billings. She began her career in finance and lending. She is passionate about making a positive impact on the community where she is raising her children. This led her to get involved with several local nonprofits, where she gained knowledge and experience in nonprofit accounting and programs. She looks forward to continuing to support the community through the Livingston Farmers Market.⁠
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Jessica is helping with Shannan with all things Livingston Farmers Market! From setting up and manning the booth to helping with planning and administration, volunteer recruitment, and more, Jessica is Shannan’s very important right-hand gal! 

Chelsea Phipps Grazing Outreach

Chelsea Phipps is an Eastern Montana native and ranches with her husband and two children just outside of Jordan, MT. Chelsea is passionate about the connection between the health of the land, animals, and humans.⁠

Chelsea is joining us as a Rancher Recruiter where her primary focus will be to educate and assist with onboarding eligible operations for the carbon program in partnership with Native.⁠ Chelsea will be traveling around the eastern part of Montana, working with ranchers on grazing plans toward this effort!

adele stenson Rancher Coordinator

Adele Stenson and her husband Kip ranch with her parents just west of Wibaux, Montana. They raise commercial cattle and irrigated hay, and their three adult daughters come home to help out when they can. 



Adele works as a Rancher Coordinator where she assists ranchers with the Native grassland carbon program, grazing planning and programming, and communications.

The Stenson’s were first introduced to WSE a few years ago when they began to explore the Native carbon program. The first WSE workshop they attended turned out to be their first step toward learning all they could about regenerative agriculture. Since then they have signed a contract with Native which is helping them improve their grazing program through a little fencing and a lot of water development; started raising worms for vermicast; and implemented several changes that they hope will lead to healthier land, wildlife, livestock, and bank accounts.

Tara Povalish native grazing analyst
Tara Povalish earned a B.S. in Animal Science, Livestock Management and Industry from Montana State University. Before joining Native, she worked in the Montana agriculture industry and is excited to combine her agriculture background and passion for sustainability for the Northern Great Plains Improved Grazing Carbon Project.
 
As an Analyst for Native’s Northern Great Plains Grasslands Program, Tara helps develop, maintain, and manage grazing plans, maps, reports, and other key project data. She works directly with participating ranchers in Montana, in collaboration with WSE, to collect and manage reporting data, supports and facilitates access to improved ranching management resources, and oversees adherence to program objectives.
 
In her free time she enjoys riding her horse, fly fishing, hiking, and home decor.
Holly Fretwell conservation econoimist in Montana

Holly Fretwell is president of Montana Connections, LLC where she does economic conservation consulting and hospitality management, is co-owner of the Jammin Jackalope camping and cabins, and is a research fellow at PERC, the Property and Environment Research Center. For nearly three decades Fretwell’s research has focused on public lands policy, private conservation, property rights, and markets. Her passion is helping others understand how free markets and trade can help enhance conservation and environmental quality.

Fretwell holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in resource economics from Montana State University. An educator at heart, Fretwell taught economics at Montana State University for 15 years, provided tools and curriculum for high school teachers to motivate economic thinkers, and has authored two books.

Joel Henry, Lawyer headshot

Dr. Joel Henry enjoys the complexity at the intersection of law, business, and technology, given he earned two computer science degrees from Montana State University, a Ph.D. in computer science from Virginia Tech, a J.D. at the University of Montana, and started his own software company.

Joel is one of a handful of people in the US with both a PhD in computer science and a JD. He is one of the leading experts in Montana, and nationwide, on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology law. A significant area of his practice also includes complex, cutting-edge legal matters around new technologies, including artificial intelligence, GDPR, and other data privacy laws, IT security, and data breaches. He also serves as an expert witness on litigation matters involving technology issues, electronic discovery, and digital forensics.

In his free time, Joel enjoys brewing beer, casting flies, tracking elk, floating rivers, backpacking, and hiking, but only when he isn’t spending time with his family.

Lauren Dillon received her B.S. in Visual Communications from the University of California, Davis. Lauren became passionate about working with missional companies that dared to challenge the status quo after a few years spent working for Patagonia. In 2012 Lauren seized an opportunity to move to Wyoming and consequently spent eight years working seasonally across the West as a photographer–each year becoming more interested in the intersection of ranching and conservation. Lauren made her way to Montana in 2017 to manage the guest program at J Bar L Ranch–a regenerative, grass-fed beef operation and one of WSE’s partners–where she quickly became fascinated by learning about soil health ranch’s land management and conservation projects. Lauren is excited to continue supporting land stewardship and regenerative producers through her work on the Communications and Farmers’ Market teams.

Matt Skoglund of North Bridger Bison, WSE board

Matt Skoglund is the founder and owner of North Bridger Bison, a bison ranch rooted in Regenerative Agriculture principles located in Montana’s Shields Valley. Prior to starting North Bridger Bison, Matt was the Director of the Northern Rockies Office for the Natural Resources Defense Council, where he worked on various conservation issues in Montana and the Northern Rockies for a decade. Matt is a graduate of Middlebury College and the University of Illinois College of Law. He is passionate about food and ranching, and he loves to hunt, garden, cook, and forage for morel mushrooms in the spring. Matt and his wife, Sarah, have two young kids, Otto and Greta.

Mark Ledger, former banker and WSE board member

Mark Ledger has been a member of the board since 2005, having served as Chair twice during that time.  Professionally, Mark’s career has involved  international finance,  business counseling and private equity.  Having spent all of his high school summers as a hand on a family cattle ranch in Big Timber, he has long standing ties in the area and retains a personal interest in agricultural and environmental sustainability.   Mark serves on the boards of multiple non-profits, including land trusts, inner-city homelessness, urban micro-finance and a foundation dedicated to underserved populations.  He and his wife, Ann, live in Pennsylvania and have two children and four grandsons.

Alex Blake is a regenerative rancher from Big Timber and a producer coordinator
for WSE. He lives and works on the ranch and tree nursery his parents started in 1973 on a foundation of deep appreciation for the natural environment. Alex holds a Master’s in Agribusiness from Texas A&M University but has gotten most of his agrarian education from hands-on experience on farms and ranches in places as diverse as Kenya and Argentina. He enjoys being a part of the progressive rancher support network in south-central Montana and draws inspiration from those who are constantly challenging old ranching paradigms. He was an artillery Captain in the United States Marine Corps and is a proud husband and father to a two-year-old daughter.

Chris Mehus the executive director of regenerative agriculture non-profit, western sustainability exchange

Chris Mehus, born, raised, and educated in Montana, has always maintained a joint passion for agriculture and the outdoors. He has applied his degrees in Wildlife Biology and Range Science to assist and advocate for ranchers who have a strong conservation ethic. After 10 years of direct ranching in Southern Montana putting his education to practice in numerous areas of grazing management and planning, Chris spent many years working in rural business, economic, and financial planning giving him unique insight into the workings of a ranch business to understand economic drivers and incentives that make ranching with nature a more profitable operating model than typical conventional practices. He is an outspoken advocate for the Ranching For Profit, Integrity Soils, Holistic Management International, and related schools of thought and how they can be applied to create a thriving ranch business while creating healthy, functioning ecological systems with rich soil and diverse wildlife populations.

WSE livingston farmers market manager Shannan Mascari

Shannan Mascari joined the Western Sustainability Exchange (WSE) team in 2019 as Office Administrator and Farmers Market Manager. Mascari attended Chico State University in Chico, California prior to moving to Montana in 1996. Upon moving here, she became a certified nursing assistant, caring for the elderly, before moving on to an administrative position with a wetlands restoration company. There, her hard work and dedication earned her the title of Vice President of Operations. She has over 18 years of administrative and managerial experience.

Mascari’s passion for taking care of the planet and the people who inhabit it is a perfect fit for WSE and the Farmers Market program. She and her husband, Jason, have three children and can often be found at soccer games, enjoying the great outdoors, or simply relaxing at their home on the Yellowstone River.

Lauren Dillon received her B.S. in Visual Communications from the University of California, Davis. Lauren became passionate about working with missional companies that dared to challenge the status quo after a few years spent working for Patagonia. In 2012 Lauren seized an opportunity to move to Wyoming and consequently spent eight years working seasonally across the West as a photographer–each year becoming more interested in the intersection of ranching and conservation. Lauren made her way to Montana in 2017 to manage the guest program at J Bar L Ranch–a regenerative, grass-fed beef operation and one of WSE’s partners–where she quickly became fascinated by learning about soil health ranch’s land management and conservation projects. Lauren is excited to continue supporting land stewardship and regenerative producers through her work on the Communications and Farmers’ Market teams.

Lill Erickson, the ecosystem services program director of Western Sustainability Exchanage

Lill Erickson has deep conviction to protect the incomparable landscape, wildlife, and way of life of the rural West, especially Montana. In 1994 Lill founded Western Sustainability Exchange to do just that.  Leading up to it’s conception,  Lill was an organizer for conservation nonprofits throughout the west, caretaker of a cattle ranch bordering Yellowstone National Park, and an advisor to a national committee to craft a strategy to promote agricultural sustainability. 

These experiences gave her the prowess to implement regenerative agriculture practices and develop market-based conservation strategies to ensure a healthy, long standing, and profitable relationship between nature and innovative land stewards. 

Lill loves her community of Livingston, spending as much time as work allows adventuring with friends in nature, and caring for and cavorting with her two dogs and two cats.

Rebecca Kurnick of Montana Aleworks

Rebecca Kurnick is a research scientist at Edaphix where she works to support healthy landscapes by mitigating undesirable species from a soil health lens. She has a background in local food systems and degrees in Soil Science and Agricultural Education from MSU. Rebecca discovered her passion for healthy soil and working landscapes through her work on farms and ranches in Maine and Montana. She enjoys helping people understand why it’s important to support the farmers and ranchers who contribute to functioning ecosystems. Rebecca and her husband Ryan enjoy hauling their two young children around the mountains on rafts, bikes, and skis teaching them about the places they love.

Malou Anderson-Ramierz resides on her family ranch in Tom Miner Basin, Montana, where she and her husband Dre live and work while raising their two daughters, Esme and Hasell. Aside from working on the ranch and learning about holistic management systems, she has psychology, social work, and equine-assisted therapies background. Malou enjoys working in community-building and land-based practices. Helping people and communities reconnect to themselves through restoring landscapes, coexisting with wildlife, and creating strong and thriving communities for both human and the more-than-human. When she’s not on the ranch or tending to kiddos, animals, or listening to lands, she loves exploring newfound communities- both urban and rural, reading, riding her horse, and sitting next to the ocean.

Carrie Balkcom is the Executive Director of the American Grassfed Association. AGA is the National multi-species entity organized to protect and promote Grassfed and pasture-based farmers and ranchers.

AGA is the leader in pasture-based production and the oldest grass-fed certification in the United States. AGA certifies ruminants and dairy.
Carrie grew up on a Florida cattle ranch and has stayed connected to the agriculture and livestock industry. She has spoken, presented, or coordinated numerous regional and national conferences; and is well known in agricultural, culinary, and sustainable agricultural circles.

Andrew Anderson, manager of J Bar L Ranch in Montana

Andrew Anderson is originally from Tom Miner Basin, where his family ranch is located. Currently, he manages J Bar L Ranches in the Centennial Valley and Melville, MT. His wife Hilary and four children have worked on the J Bar L for 13 years, helping to manage cow/calf, yearling, and grass-fed beef enterprises. They feel incredibly fortunate to ranch in wild and complex ecosystems and continually strive to learn how to preserve these unique places’ health, diversity, and integrity.

Dylan Hoffman is the Director of Sustainability for Yellowstone National Park Lodges. He oversees park-wide environmental efforts, compliance issues, and programs to curb the park’s contribution to climate change. In addition to his passion for helping to protect our environment, Dylan enjoys recreating in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem – including floating our local rivers, Nordic and backcountry skiing, hunting, or waving around a fly rod. Dylan lives in Gardiner, MT, with his partner, Erin, and their two little girls, Steely and Merrick.

Brittany Masters is the co-founder of Go Roam Free, a regenerative bison ranch and food business. As a first-generation rancher, Brittany brings her brand marketing and strong business sense to the world of sustainable animal agriculture. Brittany is passionate about developing brands and premium health products. Brittany spent 9 years as a Marketing Director at the Boeing Company, where she focused on reviving the Boeing brand and serving as a brand consultant to airline customers. During that time, she launched a startup food brand in the Middle East and finished her MBA at Seattle Pacific University. As WSE’s Secretary, Brittany hopes to help family-scale ranches transition to regenerative agriculture while improving their profitability in order to preserve the best of the west.

Roger Indreland, together with his wife Betsy, own and manages Indreland Angus, north of Big Timber, Montana. Roger is a third-generation rancher with a Farm & Ranch Management degree from Montana State University and forty-four years in the registered Angus business. Roger has found his niche in the grass-fed bull business, hosting an annual bull sale each December.

For over thirty years, Roger and Betsy have regenerated the landscape by placing value in building soil health and increasing biodiversity to complement Mother Nature’s system. As Roger says, “Our soil is the key to our success, so decisions are made with that in mind.”

In 2020, the Sweet Grass Chamber of Commerce honored them as “Ag Persons of the Year” and were nominated in 2021 as “Tow Rope Heroes” by the Northern Ag Network

WSE logo

TBD

Colin McClure is a proud Bobcat Fan and a 3rd generation graduate from Montana State University in Soil and Water Science. As a 4th generation Montana descendant with ties to active farming and ranching operations in the Flathead as well as central Montana, Colin was raised in and around agriculture. Colin is strongly rooted in both traditional and regenerative agricultural practices focusing on improving the livelihood of all Montanans.

Holly Stoltz, Communications Manager

Holly Stoltz’s greatest passion has always been helping people in the agricultural community. Throughout her career, she has revitalized a small-town newspaper, promoted businesses and organizations with her screen printing and embroidery business, actively mentored area business start-ups, and supported the 4-H program as club organization leader and activist.

Montana ranch-raised and marrying into a family ranch, agriculture has always been a part of her life.  Because of this, her degree in marketing, writing experience, and seeing the need to shift away from traditional ag practices, Holly has become a vocal supporter of regenerative agriculture as the only way to secure this legacy for future generations.

Tyrrell Hibbard enjoyed an upbringing in agriculture and conservation and today serves as a producer coordinator and senior advisor for WSE. Tyrrell is a rancher by day and distiller by night. He manages a seasonal custom grazing operation on his family’s multi-generational ranchland on the Continental Divide west of Helena. He also owns and operates Gulch Distillers in downtown Helena, producing award-winning spirits from Montana grains and fruits. When not actively engaged in agriculture or adding value to agricultural products, Tyrrell pursues conservation goals through WSE and Prickly Pear Land Trust. He serves on the board of directors. Tyrrell earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Duke University. He lives in Helena with his wife and two daughters.