29,000-acres in the UP purchased for forest carbon project

MANISTIQUE, Mich. (WLUC) - Bluesource Sustainable Forests Co. has purchased 29,019 acres of forestland in the Upper Peninsula from The Lyme Timber Company.

The land is located across Schoolcraft, Mackinac, Alger, Chippewa, and Luce counties.

This property will be part of over 90 North American forest carbon projects covering over four million acres that Anew Climate, LLC currently manages in partnership with landowners. Eleven of these locations are also located in Michigan.

In a press release, Anew said that acquired properties will be managed under sustainable working forest practices that prioritize carbon sequestration and long-term forest health while maintaining a level of commercial harvest that supports the local economy and the climate.

When BSFC is ready, they plan to initiate a selective logging operation below annual growth levels.

According to BSFC, this will allow the forests to continue to be working forestlands to support the local economy and produce high value forest products, while also developing carbon credits.

BSFC says that visits to the project area have identified many opportunities for the ecosystem through this protection.

The area is an important migratory stopover for the sandhill crane, and has milkweed that supports pollinators such as the monarch butterfly. The project will also provide stable habitat for deer, bear, and wolves.

To allow the forest to grow and carbon stocks to increase, selective harvesting is not planned in the immediate future.

BSFC will ensure that the land will remain open for public recreational access and sustainably managed for the benefit of both people and wildlife.

“Michigan is a state that is rich in its forests, and it is an area where we have a successful and long track record of managing forests for carbon in partnership with a variety of landowners,” said Jamie Houston, President of BSFC. “We’re proud to have another opportunity to bring our direct knowledge and experience to bear here and show what’s possible. You can sustain logging in a way that doesn’t harm the environment, in a way that positively addresses the greatest challenge of our time.”

“The Manistique acquisition is consistent with BSFC’s mission, expanding our growing portfolio of forestlands that are well-suited to sustainable management practices and carbon sequestration projects,” said Adam Kertzner, Portfolio Manager & Senior Partner of OHA. “We are pleased to continue to execute our business plan and deploy capital that we believe will be accretive to our investors while providing tangible environmental benefits.”

To learn more about Anew and the Manistique acquisition, click here.