Horse Ridges Native Forest Protection Project

Horse Ridges Native Forest Protection Project is an Avoided Deforestation project located in the Lachlan Shire of New South Wales, approximately 55km west of the town of Tottenham. The project was registered in September 2013 and covers a significant area of 3,444.90 hectares. It is situated within the Central West region, an area traditionally utilized for grazing livestock and dryland cropping.

The project operates under the Avoided Deforestation 1.1 methodology, which is distinct from tree-planting initiatives. Instead of planting new trees, this method rewards landholders for protecting existing native forest that they legally held permission to clear. specifically, the project area must have been subject to a clearing consent (such as an Invasive Native Species Property Vegetation Plan) issued before 1 July 2010. By voluntarily foregoing this right to clear the land for agriculture, the project prevents the release of carbon stored in the vegetation and soil.

The environment in this region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with variable rainfall, supporting vegetation often dominated by native cypress and eucalypt woodlands. The soils in the vicinity of the project are typically Red Chromosols or Kandosols, red earths known for being chemically fertile but structurally fragile, often requiring careful management to prevent erosion when cleared.

A notable fact about the Horse Ridges project is its historical significance to the Australian carbon market; it was widely cited by GreenCollar (the parent company of the proponent Terra Carbon) as the first Native Forest Protection project to be issued Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) under the Carbon Farming Initiative. This marked a key milestone in demonstrating that retaining native vegetation could be a viable economic alternative to traditional land clearing for agriculture.