In the Inland Northwest, where the forest land base is dominated by federal ownership and the forests are managed for a multitude of benefits, life cycle analysis suggests that the optimal solution for maximizing carbon gain under both current and future climate conditions is to manage forests to maximize long-lived wood products and to minimize the risk of severe wildfires. The carbon storage in buildings and the substitution benefits override the potential gains of attempting to leave high carbon stocks stored in the forest. Because of increasing wildfire severity and increased acreage burned, Inland Northwest forests will convert from a carbon sink to a carbon source without active forest management.
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CORRIM Fact Sheet
Forest Management Impacts on Carbon Pools in the Inland West