Etiwanda Native Forest Protection Project

Etiwanda Native Forest Protection Project is an avoided deforestation project located on the 'Etiwanda' property, approximately 95km south of Cobar in the semi-arid Western Division of New South Wales. It was registered in June 2014 and covers 9,932.91 hectares.

Avoided deforestation projects involve protecting native forest that would otherwise be cleared for agricultural purposes. A standard requirement for this methodology is that the land must have had a valid native vegetation clearing permit issued prior to 1 July 2010. By keeping the native forest intact, the project avoids the greenhouse gas emissions that would have occurred through deforestation and land conversion.

The Cobar region is well known for pastoral activities, predominantly mixed grazing operations that include sheep, cattle, and rangeland goats. The area features a semi-arid climate, receiving an average annual rainfall of approximately 426mm. The dominant soils across the broader Cobar plains region are typically red Chromosols and clay-based Vertosols.

This project was established to protect the native forest from being cleared and the land from being converted to a traditional agricultural system. The Etiwanda property itself is managed holistically by the Mosely family, who focus heavily on regenerative agriculture, improving soil carbon, and breeding highly adapted, low-input livestock. In 2021, the participant name for the carbon project was transferred from Stuart and Nancy Mosely to Terra Carbon Pty Limited, which operates as a subsidiary of the large environmental market developer GreenCollar.