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The Darkwoods Improved Forest Management project represents Canada's largest single private land conservation effort, protecting 54,870 hectares of inland temperate rainforest in British Columbia's Kootenay region from commercial logging. When the property was put up for auction in 2008, it faced acquisition by logging companies or real estate developers who would have needed to aggressively harvest the mature timber stands to achieve profitability. The Nature Conservancy of Canada's intervention halted all commercial timber operations, transforming what would have been an intensively logged landscape into a thriving conservation area that now supports 200 animal species and 219 plant species, including 19 globally significant species-at-risk such as endangered Mountain Caribou and Grizzly Bear. Beyond its climate impact of 5.78 million tCO₂e in emissions reductions to date, Darkwoods has become a vital "living laboratory" for scientific research, a recreational haven serving hundreds of backcountry users annually, and a critical protector of 17 watersheds that provide clean water and habitat for threatened fish populations including vulnerable Bull Trout and Sockeye Salmon.
Verra (VCS 607)
Nature-based projects like this one face some risk of reversal. Carbon storage may be affected by natural hazards such as wildfires, flooding, and escalating climate change impacts. Additionally, human-driven factors such as changes in land use or local governance structures can also impact carbon storage.
