The Michigan Conservation and Climate Initiative (MCCI) is a joint project
between the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts, the Delta
Institute, and the State of Michigan.  The project allows farmers and
landowners to earn greenhouse gas emissions credits when they use
conservation tillage, plant grasses or trees, or capture methane with manure
digesters.  Conservation practices store carbon in the soil and plants that
would otherwise form carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  Manure digesters
produce energy and preevnt methane from being released to the
atmosphere.  Both carbon dioxide and methane are greenhouse gases that
contribute to global climate change.

The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), a voluntary member-based market
quantifies, credits, and sells carbon credits from certain conservation
practices.  The credits generated through conservation practices  are pooled
together from many different producers and landowners and are sold to CCX
members (large companies, municipalities, and institutions) that have made
commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.  Chicago Climate
Exchange members must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to meet
legally binding targets or mitigate a portion of their emissions through the
purchase of offset credits generated by eligible practices.  The Delta Institute,
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, aggregates and sells these credits on the
Chicago Climate Exchange on behalf of the landowner.  The revenue from the
sale, minus aggregation and trading fees, is returned to the landowner.  The
Michigan Association of Conservation Districts, and individuals Conservation
Districts throughout the State, serve as approved verifiers to ensure enrolled
land meets eligibility requirements, and may assist landowners in during the
application process.

MCCI provides a financial incentive for farmers and landowners to use
conservation practices.  While the primary purpose of these conservation
practices is to sequester carbon dioxide, the conservation practices have
secondary benefits, such as wildlife habitat and limiting soil and nutrient run-
off to streams and lakes.

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Eligible Practices
    Conservation Tillage*             
  • No-till or strip-till
  • Conservation practices defined by USDA-NRCS handbook on
    conservation practices
  • Must maintain at least 66% residue
  • Credited at 0.6 metric tons / acre / year (for Muskegon County)

    Grass Plantings*             
  • Plantings initiated on or after January 1, 1999
  • Credited at 1.0 metric tons / acre / year
  • Includes wildlife shrub plantings

    Tree Plantings*             
  • Plantings initiated on or after January 1, 1999 on non-forested
    or degraded forestlands
  • Credited, on average, at 3 metric tons / acre / year, depending
    on species

    Methane Digesters             
  • Operational after 1999 with biogas flow monitoring and/or
    electrical metering equipment
  • Credited at 18.25 metric tons per year, for every 1 ton of
    methane destroyed

*contractual commitment through 2010

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Enrollment Process
  1. Complete enrollment package, including either the forest carbon
    sequestration or soil carbon sequestration application, contract, obtain
    FSA maps and crop certification for (FSA-578).  The Muskegon
    Conservation District can assist in the application process.
  2. If applicable, provide conservation practices documentation (CCC-509
    or AD-1026), CRP/CREP contracts, tree planting documentation and
    conservation easement or letter of intent.  Submit enrollment package
    to the Muskegon Conservation District office or the Delta Institute.
  3. Delta institute will review the enrollment package to ensure
    completeness and countersigns the contract.
  4. Depending on the size and type of the project, the Muskegon
    Conservation District may field verify the land.  Verification will occur in
    either the spring or fall, depending upon when the landowner submits
    the application.  The Conservation District will verify at least 10% of
    enrolled lands.
  5. The Muskegon Conservation District will send verification reports to the
    CCX for review.  The CCX will review the reports over a three to four
    week period and notify the Delta Institute when the credits can be sold.
  6. Delta sells the credits on the CCX and returns the landowner's portion
    of the sale, minus fees.  Payment occurs within a month of the sale.  
    Sales occur once per year.

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                                   FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
               THE MUSKEGON CONSERVATION DISTRICT OR VISIT
                                     www.michiganclimate.org

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                                                     MCCI Brochure

                Soil (No-till) Carbon Sequestration Application Package

                     Forest Carbon Sequestration Application Package
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