Artesian Range-Charnley Carbon Abatement

Artesian Range-Charnley Carbon Abatement is a savanna fire management project located at the Charnley River-Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary, approximately 250 kilometers east of Derby in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Registered in August 2015, the project covers a vast area of over 138,500 hectares. The land, formerly known as Charnley River Station (and Beverley Springs Station), was historically a pastoral lease for cattle grazing but is now primarily managed for conservation by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC). While some cattle operations continue on designated sections, the primary land use focus has shifted to protecting biodiversity and restoring natural fire regimes.

The project operates under the "Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Early Dry Season Savanna Burning" methodology. This involves conducting strategic, controlled burns during the early dry season (typically April to July) when conditions are cooler and vegetation is still moist. These "cool burns" create firebreaks and reduce the fuel load, effectively preventing the spread of large, high-intensity uncontrolled wildfires that typically occur in the late dry season. By shifting the fire regime from late-season hot fires to early-season cool fires, the project significantly reduces the total emissions of methane and nitrous oxide.

The region is characterized by a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. It receives high rainfall during the monsoonal wet season, which drives rapid vegetation growth (fuel load). The landscape is defined by rugged sandstone ranges, deep gorges, and complex river systems, with soils ranging from sandy skeletal soils on the ridges to alluvial clays along the Charnley River. The Artesian Range itself is a critical biological refuge; it is described as the only part of mainland Australia to have suffered no mammal extinctions since European settlement, harbouring rare species such as the Golden-backed Tree-rat and the Monjon.