We track the progress of a carbon removal project through our certification framework. This roadmap moves from a preliminary assessment of eligibility toward full certification under the Puro Standard.
The facility has successfully completed the preliminary assessment conducted by the Puro team, meeting the minimum criteria for listing as a future supplier on Puro.earth.
The facility has passed the third-party facility audit, verifying compliance with the methodology, as well as output audit, verifying the net volume of removed carbon. The facility has been issued CORCs and continues its removal operations, as well as monitoring and reporting to Puro.earth.
Development status
We monitor a facility’s maturity as it moves toward industrial-scale operations. This status identifies whether a project is in development, under construction, or actively removing carbon from the atmosphere.
The feasibility study is ongoing. The Supplier is still collecting data to prove the concept.
The front-end engineering and design are ready and methodology compliant. There is a clear plan to monitor and measure. The LCA is up to the needed quality level or subject to small improvements. The technology has been used before. There are commercial agreements with the relevant business partners of the facility.
The facility is fully funded and is being implemented. Relevant infrastructure is being built.
The facility is operating as a carbon removal facility.
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More about Mast Wood Preserve MT1
Mast is the world’s first and only end-to-end, technology-driven reforestation company. As wildfires intensify across the western United States, forest loss is accelerating, leaving landowners without affordable or effective solutions to restore their land. Mast addresses this challenge by providing rapid, climate-resilient reforestation at no cost to landowners, funded by the sale of high-quality biomass burial carbon removal credits.
Through our subsidiaries, Silvaseed—a trusted, 130-year-old nursery and the largest seed supplier in the Western U.S.—and Cal Forest Nursery, California's leading seedling provider, Mast grows over 36 million seedlings each year. Our integrated services cover every stage of reforestation, from wild seed collection and seedling cultivation to site planning, planting, monitoring, and carbon project development.
At Mast Wood Preserve MT1 in Montana, we’re pioneering our restorative approach by combining biomass burial with long-term land stewardship. The biomass for this project consists of fire-killed ponderosa pine trees, most of which was cut and stacked after the 2021 Poverty Flats Fire. Initially slated for burning—which would release stored carbon back into the atmosphere in 2025—the logs will instead be permanently buried at a dedicated storage site, in dry, oxygen-limited conditions designed to prevent decomposition, and durably remove carbon from the atmospheric cycle.
The MT1 project will permanently sequester approximately 5,000 tonnes of CO₂e. The burial site is protected by an open space easement for at least 100 years, and environmental sensors will continuously monitor site conditions and greenhouse gas emissions. After burial, the area will be restored with native grasses, supporting its ongoing use for grazing. To ensure long-term project integrity, Mast will establish an endowment fund dedicated to future monitoring, maintenance, and stewardship.
Biomass Burial + Reforestation Co-benefits:
1) Reforestation as a Co-benefit: In addition to biomass burial, Mast Reforestation is uniquely positioned to deliver high-integrity reforestation benefits at this project site. We are actively restoring approximately 125 acres of wildfire-damaged land, bringing back the native ponderosa pine ecosystems that once flourished here. Our reforestation process involves carefully collecting locally adapted native seeds, cultivating robust seedlings in our nurseries, and using climate-smart planting techniques to ensure the long-term resilience of these forests. By restoring fire-impacted landscapes, we enhance biodiversity, wildlife habitat, soil stability, water retention, future carbon sequestration, and wildfire resilience. This living legacy significantly amplifies the value of our carbon removal work, providing measurable ecological benefits and investing meaningfully in future forests.
2) Soil Health: Mast MT1 protects and enhances soil health by preventing traditional practices such as burning wildfire-damaged trees, thereby preserving essential nutrients and organic matter crucial for long-term ecosystem recovery.
3) Biodiversity: The project fosters biodiversity through replanting native ponderosa pine, deciduous species, and shrubs, recreating diverse habitats appropriate for local conditions. The burial site will be replanted with native grass seed typical of the Savannah ecosystem. Permanent land protection and ongoing restoration efforts further enhance habitat quality for native wildlife.
4) Economic and Social Stewardship: Mast prioritizes local economic vitality by employing Montana-based contractors for essential activities including excavation, log transport, planting, and site monitoring. This approach directly invests in local communities, fostering economic resilience and community engagement in environmental stewardship.
sdgs
Sustainable development goals
Only listed sustainable development goals (SDGs) have been assessed according to the Puro standard SDG Assessment Requirements and validated and verified by a VVB.
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