Ryandale Native Forest Protection Project

The Ryandale Native Forest Protection Project is an Avoided Deforestation project located at Ryandale Station in the locality of Cubba, approximately 38 kilometers south of Cobar in western New South Wales. Registered on July 3, 2014, the project secures 5,441 hectares of native forest that was historically approved for clearing but has instead been conserved to store carbon.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Avoided Deforestation 1.1) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology is designed for landholders who hold a valid clearing consent issued prior to July 1, 2010. By surrendering the right to clear this land for agriculture, typically for cropping or grazing, the proponents generate carbon credits (ACCUs) based on the emissions avoided by keeping the trees standing. This specific project prevents the conversion of the forest into an agricultural system, maintaining the native vegetation in perpetuity.

The region falls within the Cobar Peneplain bioregion, an area characterized by a semi-arid climate with hot summers and variable rainfall averaging between 360mm and 390mm annually. The landscape is dominated by mulga and poplar box woodlands on red earth (kandosol) and clay soils. While the broader Cobar region is heavily utilized for sheep and goat grazing, the Ryandale project ensures that the designated forest area remains uncleared, providing habitat stability in a landscape otherwise prone to agricultural modification.

The project is managed by proponents Andrew Michael Koschel and Heidi Veronique Doyle, with participation from Terra Carbon Pty Limited, a subsidiary of the major environmental markets developer GreenCollar. The involvement of Terra Carbon highlights the project's integration into the broader Australian carbon market, leveraging professional management to navigate the compliance requirements of the Avoided Deforestation method.