The AP’s Kristen Wyatt reports that on Monday’s tour the senators were shown, for example, dying pine trees infected by beetles spreading as temperatures warm in the Rocky Mountains.

National Park Service Assoc. Director for Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Herbert Frost said climate change could be the most “far-reaching and consequential challenge in our history.”

McCain commented, “A common misperception is that this is a crisis that is down the road. Climate change is real. It’s happening now.”

Alaska’s Democratic Senator Mark Begich said today he’ll host four other senators on a tour this weekend in his state. The senators are expected to see retreating glaciers, forests damaged by invasive species, and drying wetlands. They’ll also visit the North Slope to see the Prudhoe Bay oilfield.

The senators are Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who’s chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

Image Credit: AP/Ed Andrieski

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Our project in northeastern Louisiana, the Tensas National Wildlife Refuge Reforestation Project, has become the first reforestation carbon offset project in North America to achieve dual validation to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) as well as the Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards with Gold Distinction. This is a huge milestone not only for the organization, but for reforestation offset projects.

The Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation organization with a climate initiative to validate and verify carbon offset projects, provided third-party validation that the project meets the two standards.

“Carbonfund.org’s first-ever CCB Gold and VCS dual validation project is a major milestone for the carbon offset industry, making Tensas among the highest quality, scientifically validated carbon reduction projects in the world,” said Carbonfund.org President Eric Carlson.

He continued, “Deforestation is responsible for about 25% of global warming, meaning reforestation and forest preservation are critical solutions to solving global warming. By providing the highest quality offsets through projects such as Tensas, Carbonfund.org is enabling individuals, businesses and organizations to take responsibility for their carbon footprint, and reduce and offset their climate impact.”

VCS validation ensures that the project is designed to deliver real, additional, measurable and permanent carbon offsets. Because the land in the Tensas Project has been deforested and fragmented for over 50 years prior to the project, it is considered an afforestation-type project.

“We are delighted that this robust project restoring native forest is the first to be validated against the CCB Standards in North America,” said Joanna Durbin, Director of the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance. “The Tensas Project is a great addition to the growing worldwide portfolio of multiple-benefit forest carbon projects using the standard.”

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