Nestled in the mountains of Chihuahua, Mexico, La Norteñita is a high-quality, nature-based carbon removal project in the Sierra Madre Occidental. Its forests belong to one of the most species-rich ecoregions in North America, recognised as a global conservation priority and forming the largest part of the Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands biodiversity hotspot. La Norteñita restores and protects a native pine-oak forest of 25 tree species that had lost more than a quarter of its tree cover to wildfires and drought, turning it back into a long-term carbon sink. By removing the pressures that held it back, the project enables the forest to regenerate naturally, providing habitat for black bears within the range of the thick-billed parrot, listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
Across 12,245 hectares, stone walls and fencing keep livestock away from young trees, pests are monitored, regular patrols prevent illegal logging, and enrichment planting with native pine and restored water points for wildlife support the recovery. No timber is harvested, and credits are issued only for the additional carbon the forest stores, verified every year by an independent auditor and secured by a 100-year commitment. Beyond its climate impact, the project creates employment for Indigenous Rarámuri workers from the Sierra Tarahumara, linking forest restoration with local livelihoods.
