RESTORATION of CALIFORNIA DELTAIC and COASTAL WETLANDS Version 1.1
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METHODOLOGY FOR THE QUANTIFICATION, MONITORING, REPORTING AND VERIFICATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS AND REMOVALS FROM THE RESTORATION OF CALIFORNIA DELTAIC AND COASTAL WETLANDS VERSION 1.1 November 2017 METHODOLOGY FOR THE QUANTIFICATION, MONITORING, REPORTING AND VERIFICATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS AND REMOVALS FROM THE RESTORATION OF CALIFORNIA DELTAIC AND COASTAL WETLANDS VERSION 1.1 November 2017 American Carbon Registry® WASHINGTON DC OFFICE c/o Winrock International 2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 700 Arlington, Virginia 22202 USA ph +1 703 302 6500 [email protected] americancarbonregistry.org ABOUT AMERICAN CARBON REGISTRY® (ACR) A leading carbon offset program founded in 1996 as the first private voluntary GHG registry in the world, ACR operates in the voluntary and regulated carbon markets. ACR has unparalleled experience in the development of environmentally rigorous, science-based offset methodolo- gies as well as operational experience in the oversight of offset project verification, registration, offset issuance and retirement reporting through its online registry system. © 2017 American Carbon Registry at Winrock International. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed without express written per- mission of the American Carbon Registry. The sole permitted use of the publication is for the registration of projects on the American Carbon Registry. For requests to license the publica- tion or any part thereof for a different use, write to the Washington DC address listed above. METHODOLOGY FOR THE QUANTIFICATION, MONITORING, REPORTING AND VERIFICATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS AND REMOVALS FROM THE RESTORATION OF CALIFORNIA DELTAIC AND COASTAL WETLANDS Version 1.1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This methodology was authored by Steven Deverel (HydroFocus, Inc.), Patricia Oikawa (U.C. Berkeley), Sabina Dore (Hydrofocus, Inc.), Sarah Mack (Tierra Resources), and Lucas Silva (University of Oregon), with technical support from Dennis Baldocci (U.C. Berkeley) and Joe Verfaillie (U.C. Berkeley). The authors are thankful to the large group of people who have contributed to the production of this methodology. Initial methodology development was led and convened by Belinda Morris (formerly of the American Carbon Registry) and Campbell Ingram of The California Sacra- mento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy (DC). This resulted in funding for methodology devel- opment and approval from a consortium of partners including the California Department of Wa- ter Resources (DWR), the California Coastal Conservancy, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), and Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD). The Writing Team, Technical Working Group members and stakeholders have been instrumental in shap- ing the methodology by providing helpful comments, coordination, and insight. We are grateful to; Evyan Borgnis (California Coastal Conservancy), Bryan Brock (DWR), John Callaway (Uni- versity of San Francisco), Judy Drexler (USGS), Matt Gerhart (California Coastal Conservancy), Sara Kroopf (Environmental Defense Fund), Campbell Ingram (DC), Michelle Passero (The Na- ture Conservancy), Russ Ryan (MWD), and Lisa Marie Windham-Meyers (USGS). Margaret Wil- liams, Kyle Hemes, Jessica Orrego, and Lauren Nichols of the American Carbon Registry have provided many helpful comments and suggested changes during the writing, approval and publication process. HydroFocus hydrologists Tim Ingram and Kristyn Hanson helped greatly with editing and formatting. The following methodologies were used to provide input to the methodology structure and text: ACR Restoration of Degraded Deltaic Wetlands of the Mississippi Delta, v 2.0 VCS Methodology for Coastal Wetland Creation, v1.0 ACR Emission Reductions Methodology in Rice Management Systems, v1.0 November 2017 americancarbonregistry.org 3 METHODOLOGY FOR THE QUANTIFICATION, MONITORING, REPORTING AND VERIFICATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS AND REMOVALS FROM THE RESTORATION OF CALIFORNIA DELTAIC AND COASTAL WETLANDS Version 1.1 Methodology Lead Agency: Sacramento - San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Methodology Lead Author: HydroFocus, Inc. November 2017 americancarbonregistry.org 4 METHODOLOGY FOR THE QUANTIFICATION, MONITORING, REPORTING AND VERIFICATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS AND REMOVALS FROM THE RESTORATION OF CALIFORNIA DELTAIC AND COASTAL WETLANDS Version 1.1 ACRONYMS ACR American Carbon Registry A/R Afforestation and/or reforestation ARR Afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation AFOLU Agriculture, forestry, and other land use C Carbon CDM Clean development mechanism CO2 Carbon dioxide CO2e Carbon dioxide equivalent CF Carbon fraction CH4 Methane ERT Emission Reduction Ton GHG Greenhouse gas GIS Geographic information system GPS Global positioning system GWP Global warming potential N2O Nitrous oxide MT Metric ton QA Quality assurance QC Quality control SOP Standard Operating Procedures VCS Verified Carbon Standard W/RC Wetlands/Rice Cultivation November 2017 americancarbonregistry.org 5 METHODOLOGY FOR THE QUANTIFICATION, MONITORING, REPORTING AND VERIFICATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS AND REMOVALS FROM THE RESTORATION OF CALIFORNIA DELTAIC AND COASTAL WETLANDS Version 1.1 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... 3 ACRONYMS .............................................................................................................................. 5 CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................... 6 1 METHODOLOGY FRAMEWORK MODULE (MF-W/RC) ......................................................12 1.1 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................12 1.1.1 BASELINE CONDITION EXAMPLES ..................................................................14 1.1.2 PROJECT CONDITION EXAMPLES ...................................................................16 1.1.3 GEOGRAPHIC APPLICABILITY .........................................................................18 1.2 GENERAL GUIDANCE ..................................................................................................19 1.2.1 SCOPE ...............................................................................................................19 1.2.2 MODULES AND TOOLS ....................................................................................20 1.2.3 VERIFICATION ...................................................................................................22 1.2.4 ELIGIBLE PROJECT AND BASELINE COMBINATIONS .....................................23 1.2.5 APPLICABILITY CRITERIA .................................................................................24 1.3 ASSESSMENT OF NET GHG EMISSION REDUCTION ..................................................32 1.3.1 STEP 1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE BASELINE ACTIVITIES .................................33 1.3.2 STEP 2 DEFINITION OF PROJECT BOUNDARIES .............................................33 1.3.3 STEP 3 DEMONSTRATION OF ADDITIONALITY ...............................................40 1.3.4 STEP 4 DEVELOPING OF A MONITORING PLAN .............................................42 1.3.5 STEP 5 ESTIMATION OF BASELINE CARBON STOCK CHANGES AND GHG EMISSIONS ...............................................................................................43 1.3.6 STEP 6 ESTIMATION OF PROJECT CARBON STOCK CHANGES AND GHG EMISSIONS ...............................................................................................44 1.3.7 STEP 7 ESTIMATION OF TOTAL NET GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS (BASELINE – PROJECT – LEAKAGE) ................................................................44 1.3.8 STEP 8 CALCULATION OF UNCERTAINTY .......................................................45 1.3.9 STEP 9 RISK ASSESSMENT ..............................................................................46 1.3.10 STEP 10 CALCULATION OF EMISSIONS REDUCTION TONS (ERTS) ..............47 1.4 REQUIREMENTS OF PROJECT RENEWAL ...................................................................47 1.5 PARAMETER TABLES ...................................................................................................48 November 2017 americancarbonregistry.org 6 METHODOLOGY FOR THE QUANTIFICATION, MONITORING, REPORTING AND VERIFICATION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS AND REMOVALS FROM THE RESTORATION OF CALIFORNIA DELTAIC AND COASTAL WETLANDS Version 1.1 2 BASELINE QUANTIFICATION MODULES ...........................................................................50 2.1 (BL-AG) BASELINE CONDITION IS AGRICULTURE .....................................................51 2.1.1 SCOPE, BACKGROUND, APPLICABILITY AND PARAMETERS ........................51 2.1.2 PROCEDURE .....................................................................................................52 2.1.3 PARAMETER TABLES ........................................................................................55 2.2 (BL-SW) BASELINE CONDITION IS SEASONAL WETLANDS .......................................56 2.2.1 SCOPE, BACKGROUND, APPLICABILITY, AND PARAMETERS .......................56 2.2.2 PROCEDURE .....................................................................................................58 2.2.3 PARAMETER TABLES ........................................................................................62