What if ranchers could help improve the environment through livestock grazing? Better yet, what if grazing benefited ranchers through more productive land, and also cash payments for the carbon sequestered in their ground? It might sound too good to be true, but it has, in fact, become a reality.
Native’s Northern Great Plains Improved Grazing Carbon Project, which began in 2018 in partnership with Western Sustainability Exchange (WSE), received its first verification of carbon credits in October 2023. Four pilot ranches sequestered 56,508 tonnes of CO2 equivalent between 2019 and 2020. These amounts were verified as part of the Verified Carbon Standard’s required third-party audit, making Native one of the first and only verified improved grazing grasslands carbon programs in the US.
“While time-intensive and rigorous in nature, independent third-party carbon audits are an integral part of the project’s operations and long-term success. The auditors we worked with for this first verification were impressed with the level of commitment and implementation from the ranches enrolled in the project. Receiving verification approval and issuing credits is an indicator of the success of the project so far and where it can go in the future.”
What is the significance of a third-party verified carbon program?
This first verification is a major milestone, as it demonstrates the validity of the carbon program and its support of regenerative grazing practices as a lever for increasing soil carbon stocks. The project activities and soil carbon measurement and modeling must be officially validated and then verified through a rigorous process under a qualified, independent third-party auditor. Once the verification period has been completed, the carbon credits are issued to Native to engage the voluntary carbon market and also pay ranchers for their change in practices that are driving these climate benefits.
"WSE and the ranchers in the carbon program place a high value on this verification process. There are newcomers contacting us frequently who have not gone to this level of due diligence. Ranchers are very interested in generating defendable credits that have significant data and research behind them."
What does the process for entering the carbon program look like?
The entire process looks something like this: a landowner contacts Native or WSE and inquires about the carbon program. If the landowner chooses to pursue the option further, they will work with the organizations to create a custom grazing plan that includes increased grazing rotation and non-selective grazing as well as long periods of rest. While some techniques have proven more effective than others, the landowner decides what type of grazing system best fits their operation.
Although each project must meet certain grazing criteria that have been previously validated as effective, how that is accomplished will look different depending on the property and the landowner’s goals.
Overcoming Financial Barriers
Often, the cost of infrastructure and/or labor to implement a successful intensive rotational grazing system are major obstacles for ranchers. Native has an option for ranchers to utilize their HelpBuild program, where the landowner receives payments as part of a cost share to make improvements, based on their own ranch improvement plan that they develop. These payments can help pay for things like increased access to livestock water and fencing needed to make rotational grazing feasible.
These barriers are often the main thing holding a rancher back from making changes that could result in improved land health, better habitat for wildlife and livestock, increased carbon sequestration, and the option to add an income stream to the operation.
"We were able to use funding from Native’s HelpBuild program to complete a water pipeline and tank system as well as for electric fencing materials. This greatly improved our grazing system, adding flexibility and much more opportunity for plant recovery."
Native’s program is not prescriptive, but based on the core principles of improved grazing that align with increasing soil carbon stocks based on these activities. The landowner can receive assistance from Native and WSE as needed and desired to develop a plan based on their own goals for their operation. The plan has to meet certain criteria in order to be validated as a project within the Carbon Program.
The new improved grazing system is then put into place, and as it is continued and documented throughout the lifetime of the project, the modeled sequestration rates for each time frame are verified.
Through this process, ranchers are able to receive financial assistance for installing these grazing improvements at the beginning of the project and then continued payments for each verification throughout the contract period.
How do ranchers get more information?
WSE and Native partnered together over eight years ago with the vision of encouraging ranchers to implement regenerative agriculture practices that produce extensive benefits at many levels, including payments that can help provide future improvements and financial stability for many years to come.
Ranchers who are interested in potentially improving their productivity and bottom line while also benefiting the land and environment can contact WSE by email at info@westernsustainabilityexchange.org or by phone at 406-222-0730.
They can also contact Tara Povalish with Native at tara.povalish@native.eco to discuss Native’s verified carbon program in greater detail.
If ranchers are interested in hearing an overview of the carbon markets, the five carbon companies currently doing business in the state will be featured on a panel at this year’s Expanding Markets Conference. This hybrid event will be held September 23rd-25th in Billings. For more information or to register go to the 2024 markets conference page on our website.
