Appalachian Valley Improved Forest Management (AVIFM)
Preserving Appalachian Biodiversity
In January 2023, CNX partnered with ClimeCo to develop an inproved forest management project in Virginia’s Tazewell and Buchanan counties on land that was previously managed for timber production. ClimeCo is a global sustainability company focused on advancing a low-carbon future and restoring nature with market-based solutions. The Appalachian Valley Improved Forest Management (AVIFM) Project will change the management focus from timber production to conservation on 34,422 acres (13,931 hectares) owned by CNX to enhance carbon storage and sequestration while providing a haven for protected plant and animal species known to exist in the region.
The Appalachian Valley Ecoregion represents one of the most diverse temperate forest types in the world. There are many endemic species that are found nowhere else on Earth. However, this region is increasingly vulnerable to impacts from human activity. The preservation and promotion of diverse conditions will protect and enhance habitat for various endangered and vulnerable species, including the Indiana Bat, the Northern Long-Eared Bat, Little Brown Bat, Gray Bat and the Virginia Big-Eared bat.
Also overlapping the project acreage is a Virginia Division of Wildlife Resources, Rocky Mountain Elk reintroduction project. The state successfully reintroduced elk in 2012 following a 100-year absence, and their growing population relies on the forests for a cool haven in the summer and additional food resources in the winter. Finally, by reducing sediment erosion, the project will also help improve the water quality of local streams and rivers, home to several species of endangered freshwater mussels.
IFM projects like this reduce carbon emissions by protecting forests with high-carbon storage from harvest, and by allowing stands normally scheduled for harvest to continue to grow and sequester carbon in biomass.
Generating Carbon Credits
With the partnership and guidance of ClimeCo as the project developer, CNX is able to bring forth high-quality credits to the voluntary market. The 34,422 acres of the AVIFM Project are enrolled into a Verra IFM project for crediting to the voluntary carbon markets. Many of these timberlands were affected by legacy third-party mining activity in the past. As a result, the companies are preserving existing mature Appalachian hardwood forests. The temperate forests within Buchanan and Tazewell counties contain a diverse array of hardwood species, which would have been subjected to continued logging in the absence of the project. The new preservation approach creates a focus on the health and longevity of the region’s forests and their ability to serve as undisturbed habitats.
The project assures the permanence of stored carbon. Because of its natural gas production operations in the region, CNX has a physical presence at the project site, which will deter unplanned activities that might affect the habitats. Credits generated by the AVIFM Project will be created in accordance with Verra’s VM0012 Improved Forest Management methodology and listed on the Verra Registry
Benefitting Local Communities and Businesses
The project also creates outdoor recreation opportunities with plans to extend and connect local hiking trails, and to permit hunting on the land. It is with these benefits in mind that CNX and ClimeCo have identified several stakeholders with an interest in the AVIFM Project, including Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure, Breaks Interstate Park, the Southwest Virginia Sportsman’s Club, and the Southwest Virginia Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation – all of whom have been involved in Virginia’s elk reintroduction program. Another important stakeholder is the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, which will work together with CNX to allow public hunting access on the Project area.
Contact Information
For information on purchasing credits from the Appalachian Valley IFM Project, Contact Us
For project grievances, please see our Project Grievance and Redress Procedure
Third-Party Audits
Third-party audit was performed by Earthood in November 2024. Audit results are provided on the Verra project page for the CNX AVIFM project when they are finalized.
AVIFM Project Grievances
Project Grievance Redress Procedure
The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) v4.5 requires all Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) projects to include a three-stage Grievance Redress Procedure, as defined below. The Project will follow this procedure to receive, respond to, and attempt to resolve all grievances or disputes with local stakeholders that may arise during project planning and implementation:
- The project proponent shall attempt to amicably resolve all grievances and provide a written response within approximately 7 business days of receipt.
- Any grievances that are not resolved by amicable negotiations shall be referred to mediation by a neutral third-party.
- Any grievances that are not resolved through mediation shall be referred either to a) arbitration, to the extent allowed by the laws of the relevant jurisdiction or b) competent courts in the relevant jurisdiction, without prejudice to a party’s ability to submit the grievance to a competent supranational adjudicatory body, if any.
Contact Information for Grievance Submission and Documentation
Daniel Bitz, Director of Surface Asset Strategy, CNX Green Ventures, will serve as the primary contact for all grievance submissions and resolution.
Grievances submitted by email may be sent to daniel.bitz@cnx.com, bseely@climeco.com, eromano@climeco.com, and dfrasca@climeco.com. Please include “Appalachian Valley IFM Project Grievance” in your email subject line. If a grievance submitted via email is not addressed within 7 business days, please make a second attempt via the project website or post, as messages submitted via email are occasionally auto-sorted into Spam Folders.
Grievances submitted by post may be sent to:
CNX Green Ventures
1000 Horizon Vue Drive
Canonsburg PA, 15317
Attention: Daniel Bitz.
Grievances shared via mail will be reviewed and responses will be postmarked within 7 business days of receipt.
All documentation, including the procedure and documentation of disputes, will be made publicly available online at Verra.org