The Pennsylvania Carbon Management Advisory Group formed by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources met this week to review proposed policies and initiatives designed to respond to concerns about global climate change.

The Group focused on two primary areas within DCNR’s purview— projects and initiatives related to identifying geological resources suitable for sequestering carbon and changes in forest management policies to promote sequestration and substituting wood for petroleum-based fuels and building products.

A set of decision criteria was presented and discussed that the group would use to help prioritize programs and initiatives to address climate change issues and to review a catalog of state level greenhouse gas reduction policies.

The criteria include greenhouse gas reductions to be achieved, cost effectiveness, feasibility and actions that could provide Pennsylvania with a competitive advantage.

Among the recommendations related to geological resources were sequestration pilot projects in Greene County and the anthracite coal region, developing an online tool to help decisions makers identify geologic area suitable for sequestration and locating the infrastructure needed to access those areas, filling in data gaps on geologic formation with sequestration potential, protocols for siting and operating geologic sequestration projects and promoting research into the potential of chemical sequestration.

The Group considered about two dozen priority initiatives with respect to forest management for carbon sequestration and fuels in several categories: forest conservation, forest establishment and restoration, ecosystem management/health, wood/biomass energy, wood products, urban forestry and education.

Also discussed at the meeting was an update of the state’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory and issues related to the state joining a greenhouse gas registry so the initiatives DCNR does adopt can generate marketable credits that can be sold to others needing carbon sequestration reductions.

Papers and presentations considered by the Group are available online.

The next meeting of the Advisory Group is January 26.

10/27/2006