The Nez Perce Tribe is investigating natural carbon solutions to restore soil health, habitat, and sequester atmospheric greenhouse pollution. In August of 2023, Earth Economics partnered with the Tribe to analyze the Tribe’s options for participating in carbon markets as sellers of wetland-generated carbon credits. At the time this report was written, there was no market for carbon credits generated from prairie wetlands such as those found in and near the Nez Perce Reservation.
If the Nez Perce were to become a market participant offering wetland restoration and protection projects, they would need to pioneer a new pathway for producing carbon credits. Earth Economics identified crucial decision points and knowledge gaps to be addressed for determining the cost-benefit balance of participating in the carbon market.
The Tribe could sell environmental benefits produced by wetland restoration through a variety of approaches, such as water quality permit trading, direct contracts with potential beneficiaries, international biodiversity markets, and wetland mitigation banking. Another option would be supporting other entities who want to lead the development of wetland-based carbon projects within the inland northwest. Pursuing a supportive role could be useful for learning about carbon markets and their implications. In any case, it will be critical for the Tribe to find synergistic actors and develop strong alliances where roles, expectations, and risk-sharing arrangements are commonly agreed upon and well-defined.
