Lynwood Native Forest Protection Project

Lynwood Native Forest Protection Project is an avoided deforestation project located approximately 85km west-north-west of Cobar in the central-western region of New South Wales. It was registered on 12 June 2015 and covers an area of 46,663.67 hectares.

Avoided deforestation projects operate by protecting native forests from being permanently cleared and converted to agricultural systems. As a standard requirement of this methodology, the protected land must have been issued a valid clearing consent or permit prior to 1 July 2010. By surrendering the right to clear this land, the project actively avoids the release of greenhouse gas emissions and ensures the permanent retention of native vegetation.

The Cobar Peneplain region experiences a semi-arid climate with low and unreliable rainfall, typically averaging between 350mm and 400mm annually. Soils in this environment are predominantly highly weathered red loams and gradational earths. Land use in the surrounding outback is historically focused on pastoralism, primarily consisting of sheep, goat, and cattle grazing on leasehold land, alongside prominent base metal and gold mining operations.

The project is managed by proponent Terra Carbon Pty Limited on the Lynwood property, which has been run by the Thorpe family since 2006. By partnering with environmental market developer GreenCollar, the landholders established the carbon project to diversify their income and reduce their heavy reliance on livestock during severe droughts. The financial security generated from the carbon project has funded significant property improvements, including livestock trap repairs, new dams, better roads, and upgraded firebreaks. Additionally, the project's methodology was formally updated via a variation on 15 October 2015, transitioning it from the 2013 determination to the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Avoided Deforestation 1.1) Methodology Determination 2015.