Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians IFM, USA

With overflowing classrooms and crumbling facilities, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) aims to use the sale of carbon credits to build a state-of-the-art high school to meet the needs of tribal school students. Rather than harvesting the forest for timber revenue, carbon finance allows conservation to fund the community’s needs.

This 25,000-acre IFM project, which will cover nearly 75% of the MBCI’s tribal lands, is funding a new school for the tribe thanks to the anticipated revenue from the sale of carbon credits over the next 20 years. By maintaining forest carbon stocks above the regional baseline level, the project deliver verified carbon sequestration under the ACR. 

When the opportunity arose for the MBCI to finance the construction of a new school with revenues from the Tribal Land Conservation Initiative, tribal leadership was excited to combine forestland conservation with the education of their future leaders. The project will also ensure long‐term funding for all the environmental benefits provided by the conservation of the forests.

About National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC)

The National Indian Carbon Coalition’s (NICC) mission is to preserve tribal land ownership and reduce the effects of climate change by conserving the natural resources of tribal lands in order to minimize human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Revenue generated from the development of carbon sequestration on tribal land will allow for tribes to acquire traditional homelands, develop additional renewable energy projects, and support the tribal community members through social programs.

About the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI)

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI) is working with NICC to increase carbon sequestration and forest health for over two-thirds of their tribal lands. They use the enrolled woodlands as conservation and carbon sequestration forest, with light annual harvest. MBCI’s management style promotes low-impact recreation use and habitat restoration. The historic land use has been industrial timber harvesting, and improved forest management techniques allow for the land to sequester and store more carbon per acre. The project area is managed for a variety of resource uses including cultural resources, wetlands, fisheries, wildlife, recreation, and forestry. 

MCBI is a federally recognized Indian Tribe. The government was organized under the Indian Reorganization Act after a secretarial referendum in 1945 that adopted a Constitution and Bylaws. Overall, the Tribe’s fee and trust lands cover more than 35,000 acres, with approximately 75% considered forested. 

The forest carbon project is on 25,261 acres of forestland located largely in east central Mississippi. By committing to maintain forest CO2 stocks above the regional baseline, the project is providing significant climate benefits through permanent carbon storage. The minimal commercial timber harvesting allowed within the carbon sequestration methodology will help the forest to continue to sequester carbon. Diverse management techniques and select-cutting practices encourage healthy multi-age stands by allowing for mature trees to achieve larger sizes, encourage vigorous growth of younger cohorts, and establish regeneration of native seedlings. 

The project will achieve GHG removals by sequestering more CO2 than the baseline scenario. Management decisions of the forest focus on sustainable, natural forest growth, control of invasive species, and diversification of age classes. The project ensures long-term sustainable management of the forests, which could otherwise undergo significant commercial timber harvesting

In addition to delivering emission reductions and removals to help take urgent action to combat climate change (SDG 13), Improved Forest Management (IFM) projects in North America contribute to other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering multiple benefits:

• Clean Water and Sanitation: IFM projects that shift from production to conservation protect and improve water-related forest ecosystems, enhancing water quality and water retention. Conservation practices reduce soil erosion and act as a buffer for nitrate leakage from surrounding agriculture. 
• Life on Land: IFM activities contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation and forest protection. Shifting from production to conservation helps avoid forest loss, while reduced impact logging contributes to higher species richness and biodiversity.