FLORENCE, Wis. — Still uncomfortable with the terms, the Florence County Board has declined to enter a deal with Climate Trust to sell carbon credits.

Climate Trust, a non-profit carbon developer based in Portland, Ore., works with landowners across the country to set up selling carbon credits to companies looking to offset their carbon production.

In Florence County, Climate Trust proposed a forest management project for nearly 40,000 acres.

The project would have a 40-year term and would be part of the voluntary carbon market. Over the four decades, the county could receive an estimated $6.39 million in revenue, most of that coming in the first 20 years. However, the county would be responsible for monitoring and verification costs through the life of the project.

Supervisor Alan Williams noted the county’s attorney mentioned the vagueness of the contract more than a dozen times in a written opinion.

Williams also stated that Climate Trust’s requirement the contract remain confidential could bring up issues with open records laws.

“Basically a rewrite would benefit the county but that is probably not going to happen,” Williams said. “Climate Trust is going to use their standard form in a ‘take it or leave it’ scenario.”

Supervisor Dwaine Drewa said he reached out to officials in neighboring counties, plus those in logging and sawmill businesses, and had yet to find anyone in favor of carbon credit deals.

But Supervisor Tom Brandt said officials in Wisconsin’s Bayfield and Iron counties that entered similar deals and were receiving funds had positive things to say.

Gary Merrill asked what would happen if the county experienced a disaster such as a forest fire, adding the Trump administration was canceling most green initiatives. Merrill also said the contract should be public.

Jeremy Koslowski from Climate Trust said the county would have insurance against such factors as disasters. The companies buying carbon credits are doing so not because of political mandates but to offset their carbon footprint, he explained.

With supervisors Chase Erickson and Matt Brunette absent, a motion to enter a deal with Climate Trust failed on a 4-5 vote, with Karen Thompson, Al Williams, Sherry Johnson, Drewa and Charles Kellstrom all voting against.

Board Chairperson Chad Hedmark said carbon credits may come up again in the future and supervisors should send their questions to Patrick Smith, administrator for the county’s Forestry and Parks Department.

In other business, the board:

— Approved creating a part-time financial assistant position for the Aging and Disability Resource Center.

— Authorized transferring a parcel of land along Maple and Elm Streets to the Town of Long Lake. The town is receiving grant money to clean up the former gas station site.