Five-year bonus on carbon credits to end

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The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) has announced that after Jan. 30 carbon credit contracts for prescribed grazing on native rangeland will no longer be eligible for the 2003- 2007 bonus years.

As a result of the CCX announcement, Farmers Union—an offset aggregator for CCX—has moved up the deadline for its new rangeland enrollment pool to Jan. 30. Completed enrollments received by Jan. 30 that have proper documentation will still be eligible to receive 2003-2007 credits.

Producers will still be eligible for carbon credit enrollments for the next rangeland management pool beginning after Jan. 30, but the new contracts for the new pool will not be eligible for the bonus years reaching back to 2003.

‘This is the last chance for eligible ranchers to utilize the ‘reach back’ provision for the additional five years of carbon credits for years 2003-2007 year in the carbon credit Rangeland Management Program,” said John Hansen, Nebraska Farmers Union president. “We strongly encourage eligible ranchers who havs the proper documentation, including a formal grazing plan, to sign up for carbon credits before the Jan. 30 deadline. I encourage ranchers to take advantage of this opportunity before it is gone.”

After Jan. 30, “reach back” bonus credit will be offered for 2008 only, which is similar to the No-Till Program. Prior carbon credit enrollments are not affected by this rule change.

Ranchers can get more information and online enrollment at: www.nebraskafarmersunion.org or by calling Graham Christensen at the Nebraska Farmers Union State Office at 402-476-8815.

National Farmers Union Insurance will also be sponsoring presentations by Nebraska Farmers Union on the Carbon Credit Program and Wind Energy Development.

Meetings are set for 7 p.m. as follows: Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the Holdrege Country Club; Wednesday, Jan. 21, at the Maywood Fire Hall; and Thursday, Jan. 22, at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds Ag Activity Center in North Platte.

These free events are open to the public.

The National Farmers Union representative in the North Platte and McCook area is Clayton Schmitz at Maywood, 308-362-4675.

Since it does take some time to properly enroll, ranchers are encouraged to get started with their enrollment applications as soon as possible and not wait until the end of January.