RBC Backs Montana’s Buried Biomass in Historic Carbon Deal

The carbon market just got a major proof-of-concept in the American West. On Thursday, Mast Reforestation announced the first-ever delivery and sale of credits from its "biomass burial" project in Montana, with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) stepping up as a key buyer.

This isn't just another offset transaction. It marks the first time credits have been issued under Puro.earth’s rigorous "Terrestrial Storage of Biomass" methodology. By burying wildfire-killed timber in engineered chambers, the project prevents decomposition and locks away carbon that would otherwise return to the atmosphere.

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From Theory to Bankable Asset

The deal validates biomass carbon removal as a scalable, verifiable solution. For years, the sector has looked for ways to handle the massive amounts of dead timber left behind by increasingly severe wildfires. Mast’s approach turns this liability into a climate asset.

By securing a buyer like RBC, the project moves beyond pilot status into the realm of institutional finance. The "Terrestrial Storage of Biomass" methodology used here ensures that the carbon removal is durable and accurately measured, addressing valid concerns about the permanence of nature-based solutions.

Restoring the Land

The project’s impact extends beyond simple carbon storage. Revenue generated from the credit sales is directly reinvested into the local ecosystem. Mast Reforestation uses the funds to replant the very landscapes devastated by the fires that created the wood waste.

This "closed-loop" model appeals to buyers who want their climate spend to deliver tangible co-benefits. In Bighorn County, where the 2021 Poverty Flats Fire caused severe damage, these funds will help replant native conifers that would struggle to regenerate naturally.

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Comparing Removal Methods

As the market for bioenergy and removal matures, buyers are looking for speed and permanence. Biomass burial offers a unique middle ground between expensive technological solutions like direct air capture and traditional forestry projects.

A Template for the West

The success of the Montana project offers a blueprint for the wider Western United States and Canada. With millions of acres of forest needing restoration, the combination of sustainable aviation fuel feedstock collection and biomass burial could become a standard tool for land managers.

Investors and developers will be watching closely as Mast Reforestation expands this model. If the financial sector continues to show appetite for these high-integrity credits, we could see a rapid scaling of net-zero aligned forestry projects across North America.