Governor Martz to Work with Industry and Environmental Groups to Address Global Climate Change

Governor Judy Martz announced today that a Governor’s Carbon
Sequestration Working Group comprised of industry, economic development groups, farm organizations, environmental and conservation interests has
been formed to advance a voluntary market-based approach to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere through conservation practices to help reduce global climate change.

"I am pleased to join with these influential partners to work on this
important issue," said Governor Martz. "President Bush has announced
his
Climate Vision and Montana is taking a proactive stance to implement the
President’s initiative."

The Department of Energy recently announced a $1.6 million grant
designating
Montana as the lead state in a regional partnership with South Dakota
and
Idaho to continue research in carbon sequestration. The effort will be
led
by Montana State University and will collaborate with the Governor’s
Working
Group and National Carbon Offset Coalition (NCOC) to eventually develop
pilot projects.

A grant to help fund the start up of the NCOC, and to provide some match
monies to the regional partnership grant award was initiated by the
Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. The 2003 Montana legislative
session approved the funding led by the bi-partisan committee support of
Representatives Dave Kasten, John Witt, and Christine Kaufmann, along
with
Senators Jon Tester, Joe Tropilla, Tom Zook, and Bob Keenan.

The programs now under development by the NCOC and the Governor’s Carbon
Sequestration Working Group will provide landowners, corporations, as
well
as tribal and local governments an opportunity to participate in a
market-based conservation program.

President Bush’s U.S. Climate Change Policy of 2002 proposes that the
U.S.
lower its rate of emissions from an estimated 183 million tons per
million
dollars of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2002, to 151 million tons per
million dollars of GDP in 2012. Carbon sequestration is identified as
one
of the key mitigation strategies in the President’s proposal.

According to Mark Lindberg, Chairman of the Governor’s Working Group,
the
NCOC is a Montana based non-profit corporation designed to develop and
market carbon sequestration projects in Montana and nationally.

Kris Goss
Education Policy Advisor and Deputy Communications Director
Office of the Governor
State Capitol
Helena, MT 59620
406) 444-3862
[email protected]

Contact: Kris Goss
(406) 444-3862

Mark Lindberg
(406) 444-9757