About Us
Learn why Alaska Carbon Solutions is growing the carbon market for the benefit of Alaska, its land, and the Alaskans that call it home.
We’re Alaska’s carbon sequestration experts
We believe that the global carbon market presents a compelling opportunity for Alaskans to benefit economically from Alaska lands today while preserving their value for future generations. As experts in carbon sequestration, we were one of just two international firms called upon by the state of Alaska to help inform legislators on ways to monetize carbon on state lands.
Our team specializes in evaluating and maximizing Alaska land’s potential for carbon sequestration, or removal, and storage. We partner with large landowners to survey their land and analyze its carbon storage potential. For qualified properties, our next step is to develop nature-based carbon sequestration projects on the land. Each of our projects is carefully designed to meet the landowner’s unique land use goals.
Our team is dedicated to responsible land management
Throughout our careers, our team has worked hand-in-hand with native communities, local and state government agencies, outdoor recreation providers and Alaska Native corporations to ensure fair access to Alaska’s rich natural landscape and its many benefits.
We are proud of our deep connections to Alaska’s land, and we believe it should help support the people of Alaska – now and forever. Our work in forestry and nature-based carbon sequestration is the natural extension of our passion for Alaska and our commitment to its prosperity.
Meet the Team
Eugene R. Petola Jr.
Eugene R. Petola Jr. is CEO and co-founder of Alaska Carbon Solutions. As an Alaskan born Alaska Native, businessman and expert on Alaska Native subsistence and land issues, he is passionate about honoring and preserving the natural resources and cultural heritage of Alaska. For Eugene, ACS’s work to ensure that Alaska lands benefit all Alaskans is deeply personal: He grew up in Western Alaska and began commercial fishing at just thirteen years old. Throughout his career, Eugene has worked to improve the lives of all Alaskans.
Eugene has extensive expertise in natural resource management in Alaska, Alaska Native political engagement, and coordinating with state and federal agencies to support Alaskan Native Organizations and Tribal entities. With nearly four decades of experience working in Department of the Interior agencies, Eugene has coordinated and implemented subsistence management on all federal lands in Alaska. Most recently, he served as Regional Director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in Alaska, overseeing offices providing services to 227 federally recognized Alaska Native tribes.
Wade Renfro
Wade Renfro is the Chief Financial Officer and co-founder of Alaska Carbon Solutions. As an Alaska resident of forty years, he grew up in Valdez and now raises his family in the state. For Wade, stewardship of Alaska land is personal. When the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in 1989, he worked on remote barges to clean up and preserve an area he has loved since childhood.
Wade has dedicated the vast majority of his professional career to founding and operating businesses in Western Alaska.
He is a highly motivated pilot and entrepreneur skilled in developing and acquiring start-up entities especially within the realm of commercial airline operations and private aviation. As the owner of Renfro’s Alaskan Adventures Inc., Dependable Freight LLC, and Paklook Air Inc., he has over 30 years of experience operating various entities in rural and urban Alaska, successfully navigating through complex state and federal regulation. An avid outdoor enthusiast and adventurer, Wade has been coordinating and leading adventures to share the beauty of the Alaska wilderness with his clients for more than two decades.
Jack Barksdale
COO Jack Barksdale is the founder of JB4 Outfitters, a natural resource consulting and operating company with a focus on landscape management and improvement for recreational use. With more than 10 years of experience in natural resource management across North, Central, and South America, Barksdale is highly skilled in planning and implementing complex projects within the agricultural industry and working closely with local and federal government agencies dedicated to fish and wildlife conservation. Barksdale is passionate about land stewardship, outdoor recreation, travel, and wilderness adventure. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Robert Nantz
Chief Communications Officer Robert Nantz is a driven entrepreneur and experienced project developer for large scale land and livestock operations. As a Texas native, Robert is drawn to the vast frontier of Alaska’s landscape and has traveled frequently to the state to share his expertise in regenerative agriculture and livestock management with local groups.
Robert is highly skilled in managing landowner relations and consulting and procuring alternative revenue sources for landowners. As co-founder of Nantz Land & Cattle and founder and president of Boot Heel Management, Nantz has worked closely with government entities to help improve land quality and create innovative ways to incentivize agricultural producers to reduce CO2 emissions. His dedication to sustainable land use as well nature-based solutions for climate change led to his interest in carbon sequestration projects.
