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
MUSKEGON CONSERVATION DISTRICT
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