The U.S. government uses national forests to offset corporate pollution — and calls it climate progress.
STEP 1: TAXPAYER FUNDING
National forests maintained with public dollars
STEP 2: CARBON ACCOUNTING
Government counts forest absorption in national inventory
STEP 3: CORPORATE OFFSETS
Industry reduces compliance costs using public carbon sinks
STEP 4: PROFIT MARGINS
Shareholders benefit from avoided carbon penalties
YOU PAY. THEY PROFIT.
Every year, the U.S. Forest Service spends billions in taxpayer dollars managing public lands. These forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The federal government includes these carbon sinks in the national greenhouse gas inventory, effectively claiming credit for nature's work funded by your taxes.
Meanwhile, under cap-and-trade systems and carbon accounting frameworks, corporations can reduce their compliance costs by pointing to these same public carbon sinks.
The result? Industrial polluters save up to $85 per metric ton in avoided carbon penalties, while you pay twice: once through taxes that maintain the forests, and again through your own carbon footprint costs.
Public Good, Private Gain.
As public forest carbon absorption increases, corporate compliance costs decrease and profit margins soar.
890M
Tons CO₂ Absorbed (2023)
$5.2B
Corporate Savings (2023)
17.9%
Profit Margin Increase
Every claim on this page is backed by government documents, peer-reviewed research, and investigative journalism.
U.S. Government Accountability Office
2024
Federal lands managed by USDA Forest Service and DOI absorb approximately 12-15% of annual U.S. carbon emissions. The economic value of these carbon sequestration services is estimated at $8-12 billion annually, yet there are no mechanisms to ensure public benefit from carbon market transactions involving federal lands.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
2024
Land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) offset approximately 13% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2022. Federal forests account for approximately 58% of total forest carbon sequestration in the national inventory.
Oil Change International
2023
Carbon capture subsidies under Section 45Q allow fossil fuel companies to claim up to $85 per metric ton of captured or sequestered CO₂. Companies can meet requirements through direct capture or by purchasing offsets linked to federally-managed carbon sinks.
E&E News (Climatewire)
2023
Investigative analysis reveals that corporations operating in carbon markets regularly cite national forest carbon absorption data to justify reduced offset purchases. This practice effectively transfers the value of taxpayer-funded conservation to private balance sheets.
U.S. Forest Service
2024
FY 2024 appropriations for National Forest System land management total $2.1 billion. Forest health, reforestation, and timber sale programs account for $683 million, directly supporting carbon sequestration capacity.
Environmental Protection Information Center
2023
Offset programs allow polluters to avoid reducing emissions at the source by purchasing credits generated elsewhere, including from public lands. This creates a 'carbon laundering' system where public environmental goods subsidize private pollution.
This investigation is based on publicly available government documents, peer-reviewed research, and credible journalism.
All sources are verifiable and accessible through official channels.
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