Tell the House of Delegates: Don’t stop West Virginians from getting paid for offsetting carbon with their trees!

The WV Legislature is trying to pass legislation that will prohibit or fatally discourage West Virginia landowners’ ability to be paid money to sustainably and scientifically manage their timber.

The Legislature did nothing over the years to protect citizens when their minerals were sold off to mostly out-of-state companies. The Legislature for the most part only hurt citizens who were lucky enough to own their minerals when those citizens were signing leases with mostly out-of-state oil and gas drillers — the law lets the drillers keep their important lease terms secret — and even forced pooling laws were enacted. 

Now, when mostly out-of-state companies want to instead pay West Virginia landowners — pay landowners by buying carbon timber credits in order to offset the companies’ carbon creation —  NOW the Legislature wants to step in to regulate terms, require bureaucratic filings, and even impose new taxes on these transactions. 

Not everyone thinks allowing companies with carbon impact to buy carbon credits is a good idea. But only national legislation could stop that. All the WV Legislature can do is chase the money out of state to be paid to citizens of other states.

That is what SB 618 would do by establishing these unnecessary hurdles that will ultimately discourage companies from investing in carbon exchange programs in West Virginia. 

Contact your member of the House of Delegates. Tell them to vote “NO” on SB 618. For once let West Virginia landowners take money from out-of-state entities (and for a good cause), instead of letting out-of-state entities take our wealth or underpay us. 

Still need inspiration? Listen to WV SORO’s recording of the West Virginia Land Reunion Song.