Carbon Sequestration Pilot Program

This report's purpose is two-fold. First, it documents the elements likely required to implement a carbon sequestration process tailored to state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). Findings are based on the challenges, key lessons, and preliminary results from New Mexico DOT's initial five months of implementing the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Carbon Sequestration Pilot Program (CSPP). Although communication of the progress and outcomes should continue through the life-cycle of the pilot program, it is expected that the body of knowledge formed from NMDOT's early experience can help other state DOTs evaluate the viability of carbon sequestration practices in lands they control. The CSPP is also considered a demonstration project. As such, this report offers preliminary recommendations and considerations that can assist FHWA and other federal agencies in making well-informed decisions related to carbon sequestration in highway ROW during discussions surrounding the reauthorization of the nation's next transportation bill. Since the NMDOT effort is ground-breaking nationally, and perhaps globally, it is expected that NMDOT's experience can provide insights useful in determining whether efforts to accomplish a similar program at a broader scale are practical.