WOODCACHE PBC.

WE GENERATE HIGH-QUALITY CARBON REMOVAL CREDITS BY SEQUESTERING FORESTRY WASTE

Woodcache replicates one of nature’s most successful methods of carbon dioxide removal (CDR):

TERRESTRIAL STORAGE OF BIOMASS

For millions of years, nature has been removing atmospheric carbon dioxide by burying biomass. How do we know? All you have to do is look at the car you drive, the lights in your home, and the gas cooking your dinner. Every hydrocarbon we use today was once organic material that was covered by sediment, and over millions of years, and subject to immense temperature and pressure, turned into fuel. We engineer specially designed vaults that bury and protect this waste for thousands of years.

Measurement, Reporting & Verification (MRV) is the Name of the Game and it is of the Utmost Importance to us.

Our Process

Terrestrial storage of biomass is so much more than carbon removal

This methodology has Serious, Tangible, CO-BENEFITS THAT CAN BE REALIZED TODAY

  • Terrestrial biomass storage is a critical strategy for reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires by removing and securely storing high-hazard materials such as deadwood and forest residues, which serve as primary fuels for intense and rapidly spreading fires. As wildfires become more frequent and severe due to prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, and forest mismanagement, proactively reducing fuel loads can significantly enhance forest resilience and decrease the likelihood of devastating fire events.

    Beyond the immediate benefits of fire prevention, this approach can protect communities, infrastructure, and natural ecosystems from destruction. Wildfires not only pose a direct threat to lives and property but also lead to long-term economic consequences, including healthcare costs from smoke-related illnesses, lost productivity, and disaster recovery expenses. According to the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, wildfires impose an annual economic burden ranging from $394 billion to $893 billion, underscoring the urgent need for preventive measures.

    By implementing large-scale biomass removal and storage, land managers, policymakers, and local communities can take a proactive stance against wildfire disasters. This method ensures that hazardous fuel loads are systematically reduced, lowering the frequency and intensity of wildfires while also preserving critical water supplies, reducing soil erosion, and maintaining the ecological balance of fire-prone landscapes.

  • Terrestrial biomass storage is a critical strategy for reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires by removing and securely storing high-hazard materials such as deadwood and forest residues, which serve as primary fuels for intense and rapidly spreading fires. As wildfires become more frequent and severe due to prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, and forest mismanagement, proactively reducing fuel loads can significantly enhance forest resilience and decrease the likelihood of devastating fire events.

    Beyond the immediate benefits of fire prevention, this approach can protect communities, infrastructure, and natural ecosystems from destruction. Wildfires not only pose a direct threat to lives and property but also lead to long-term economic consequences, including healthcare costs from smoke-related illnesses, lost productivity, and disaster recovery expenses. According to the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, wildfires impose an annual economic burden ranging from $394 billion to $893 billion, underscoring the urgent need for preventive measures.

    By implementing large-scale biomass removal and storage, land managers, policymakers, and local communities can take a proactive stance against wildfire disasters. This method ensures that hazardous fuel loads are systematically reduced, lowering the frequency and intensity of wildfires while also preserving critical water supplies, reducing soil erosion, and maintaining the ecological balance of fire-prone landscapes.

  • Terrestrial biomass storage also improves air quality by reducing the frequency and severity of wildfires, which are a major source of harmful air pollution. Uncontrolled wildfires release massive amounts of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and other toxic pollutants that can travel hundreds of miles, posing serious health risks to communities. These pollutants contribute to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and other health complications, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with preexisting conditions. A study by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) and Blue Forest Conservation highlights that improving forest health through proactive management can mitigate these public health impacts, reducing hospitalizations and long-term health complications. Additionally, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee estimates that wildfires can impose up to $202 billion in human health-related costs annually.

    By proactively removing high-hazard biomass and preventing large-scale wildfires, this approach minimizes smoke-related air pollution and reduces the number of hazardous air quality days. It also prevents the widespread release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides, which contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, a key component of smog.

    Improving air quality through wildfire mitigation has significant public health benefits, decreasing hospitalizations, reducing healthcare costs, and enhancing overall quality of life. Additionally, cleaner air benefits ecosystems by preventing acid deposition and preserving the health of plants, soils, and water bodies. By integrating wildfire prevention with air quality improvements, terrestrial biomass storage provides a critical co-benefit that supports both environmental and human well-being.

  • Terrestrial biomass storage enhances water resources by reducing the risk of high-intensity wildfires, which can severely disrupt watersheds. Wildfires damage soil structure, leading to increased erosion, sedimentation, and contamination of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. The loss of vegetation also reduces the land’s ability to absorb and filter water, exacerbating drought conditions and increasing the likelihood of flash floods. By proactively removing excess biomass and preventing severe fires, this approach helps maintain healthy forested watersheds, ensuring a more stable water supply for communities, agriculture, and ecosystems. Protecting these critical water resources also reduces treatment costs and safeguards aquatic habitats, providing long-term environmental and economic benefits. A study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) highlights that wildfires pose a substantial risk to water supplies by leading to severe flooding, erosion, and the delivery of sediment, nutrients, and metals to rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

  • Terrestrial storage of biomass also provides critical co-benefits for agricultural and natural land conservation. By utilizing conservation easements and other long-term land protection tools, we ensure that the land remains safeguarded in perpetuity after biomass storage operations are complete. These easements legally prevent further development, preserving the land’s ecological and agricultural value while maintaining open spaces and natural habitats. This approach ensures that once biomass storage activities conclude, the land seamlessly returns to its original use, whether for farming, ranching, or natural habitat preservation.

    After the initial burial of biomass, the only legal exception to disturbing the land would be to remediate existing projects if monitoring instruments detect that the entombed wood is decaying faster than expected. This safeguard ensures the integrity of the storage system while maintaining the long-term stability of the land. By prioritizing conservation from the outset, this methodology aligns with sustainable land management practices, helping to protect vital ecosystems, prevent habitat fragmentation, and support biodiversity. Additionally, these protections help maintain the integrity of working lands, ensuring that they remain productive and available for future generations. Through strategic conservation planning, terrestrial biomass storage not only mitigates wildfire risk but also contributes to the broader goal of preserving landscapes and maintaining the environmental and economic benefits they provide.

  • Terrestrial storage of biomass co-benefits extend beyond natural systems and into societal systems, providing significant economic and employment opportunities, particularly in rural regions. By developing a large-scale biomass removal strategy, the demand for specialized equipment, skilled labor, and logistical support increases, creating new job opportunities in areas that might otherwise have limited economic prospects. This can be especially impactful in rural communities, where employment opportunities are often scarce. The expansion of biomass management activities leads to the creation of jobs in forestry, transportation, and biomass processing, providing stable employment and revitalizing local economies.

    Furthermore, this methodology can play a critical role in jumpstarting the Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) industry. As biomass storage and management become more widespread, the demand for equipment and labor to implement these solutions will increase. This, in turn, can stimulate the CDR sector by driving the need for specialized machinery, such as trucks, processing equipment, and transportation infrastructure, as well as skilled workers to operate and maintain these systems. As CDR projects scale, they create job opportunities in manufacturing, operations, and maintenance, further supporting workforce development in rural and underserved areas.

    Additionally, landowners are compensated for participating in biomass removal efforts, providing a direct financial incentive that further stimulates local economies. By monetizing biomass collection and storage, landowners can reinvest in their properties, support local businesses, and contribute to the overall economic vitality of their communities. This added revenue stream ensures the long-term sustainability of these projects, making terrestrial biomass storage not just an environmental solution but an economic driver as well.

  • Finally, terrestrial storage of biomass also provides a valuable co-benefit by reclaiming and restoring degraded landscapes, such as abandoned mines, gravel pits, and other disturbed sites. These areas often remain barren and ecologically damaged long after their original use has ended, contributing to soil instability, erosion, and habitat loss. By repurposing these scars on the land for biomass storage, we can fill in and stabilize these sites, preventing further environmental degradation while giving the land a renewed purpose.

    This methodology not only helps restore the natural contours of the landscape but also supports ecosystem recovery by enabling the gradual return of native vegetation. Over time, these reclaimed areas can blend back into the surrounding environment, reducing the visual and ecological impact of past industrial activity. In cases where contamination is a concern, biomass storage can also be paired with remediation efforts to further improve soil and water quality. By integrating biomass storage with land restoration, we can turn previously unusable land into a valuable asset for both climate mitigation and environmental recovery.

Putting our money where our waste-wood is… in the dirt

Woodcache is THE FIRST TERRESTRIAL STORAGE OF BIOMASS SUPPLIER EVER to execute a commercial project, satisfy Puro.Earth’s stringent methodology requirements, become accredited, and generate a 3rd party audited carbon removal credit

FAQs

  • This is a great question and probably the one we get asked the most. The short answer is that wood can be used for many purposes beyond carbon removal, but the key consideration is where it makes economic sense. Transportation is our biggest cost, and it becomes prohibitively expensive to move wood waste more than 50 miles. Our areas of operation are remote, and with the decline of the American timber industry and the closure of many mills, there’s often no destination for this wood—even if it weren’t considered waste.

    In instances like biochar, supply would quickly outstrip demand due to limited agricultural activity and the vast amounts of dead timber already present on forest floors in the Rocky Mountains. The process of making biochar also turns the material into a charcoal. Spreading it in place, in forests, could be problematic if you expect natural fire cycles that could burn the biochar in the ground.

    Finally, if this wood is left in place, it significantly increases the risk of catastrophic wildfires. This material must be removed today to lower the chance of mega-fire, there’s no time to wait. Considering the negative potential effects of this material, burying woody biomass is in many cases the best use.

  • That’s absolutely true! We use some of the heaviest equipment in our operations, and it is our absolute intention to transition to near-zero or zero-emission alternatives as soon as they become practical. However, today, these options are not viable.

    Also, when you do the math, larger machines are actually very efficient due to the sheer volume of material they can move. For example, a fully loaded timber truck can haul over 20 metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per load. With a fuel efficiency of 8 mpg and a round trip of 80 miles, the truck consumes about 10 gallons of diesel. According to the EPA, one gallon of diesel produces 7.6 pounds of carbon, meaning the trip emits 76 pounds of CO₂. That’s a ratio of 76 pounds of carbon emitted for every 20 tonnes of carbon transported.

    While there is room for improvement, this is ration of carbon removed to carbon emitted we will make every day of the week.

  • As mentioned above, the presence of hydrocarbons (oil, natural gas, and coal) provides a geologic precedent for this methodology, demonstrating carbon removal on geologic timescales, aka millions of years. The key question, however, is how much of the original carbon from the buried biomass is preserved over that timeframe.

    This methodology is still relatively nascent, but some very smart people at institutions worldwide are actively working to address this question. We are proud to contribute to this work by partnering with a few and providing data through our advanced monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) equipment. You can learn more about our work.

    While there is still much to learn, our current data from underground, surface, and atmospheric sensors suggests that the decay rate, the rate at which carbon transitions from solid wood to gas, is hundreds of times slower than natural decomposition on the surface. This gives us strong confidence that our method is effective.

  • Let’s just say this carbon methodology might be easy relative to nuclear fusion, but that does not mean is without its own share of challenges. The biggest hurdle is operating responsibly. With the well-documented pitfalls in the carbon markets, reputable buyers are extremely cautious about low-quality credits. To succeed, you must prove you’re truly locking that carbon away.

    That’s where sustainable biomass sourcing, rigorous operating procedures, and robust MRV equipment come into play. We are evangelically devoted to maintaining the highest standards in everything we do.

    If you, however, also have an unstoppable urge to join us in this business, find our contact form and reach out. We’re more than happy to share our equipment insights and lessons learned with any entrepreneur working to make a difference.

  • Yes, land suitable for burial vaults is definitely a limiting factor for this methodology. The key variables that determine how much surface area you’ll need include things like bedrock depth. You can’t bury past bedrock, so if you find an area with a deep soil column (that’s also dry, cold, and anaerobic of course), you’ll use less surface area. There are also creative ways to optimize land use, like reclaiming old mines or existing pits. Another option is to build mounds, which can hold significantly more wood while using less land.

    As for keeping the wood undisturbed, this methodology has a built-in benefit of land conservation. We put conservation easements over our vaults to protect the land in perpetuity. These easements ensure that only we can open the vaults—and even then, only if we can prove the wood is decomposing faster than expected. Otherwise, the buried wood is legally protected and can’t be touched or removed without serious consequences.

  • The best thing you can do is hit the BUY button at the top of your screen, we double dog dare you! Feeling shy or need more info? No problem, just fill out the contact form below.

    If you’re looking for other ways to support us, we’re also listed on Patch, an incredible partner with more experience in the carbon market than you can shake a stick at. Plus, we’ve teamed up with several third-party brokers to help manage off-take.