Isometric has certified a new Grazing Lands Management Module under its Improved Soil Management Protocol, creating a pathway for soil carbon removal credits from U.S. grazing land. The module allows practices like rotational grazing, improved forage, water management, and brush management, but requires projects to prove gains through repeated soil sampling or validated models checked against physical measurements every five years. Developers must also pass an additionality test, account for livestock methane and imported feed emissions, and pay enrolled landowners at least 20% of project revenue. Grassroots Carbon and Cultivo are the first developers to adopt the framework. Grassroots Carbon works with more than 340 ranching families across 22 states and has paid ranchers $40 million to date. Cultivo has over 800,000 hectares of U.S. grasslands contracted and is backed by a $100 million capital deployment from Octopus Energy Generation. The methodology targets up to 260 million hectares of U.S. grazing land, though near-term credit supply depends on how many projects clear verification and monitoring requirements.
