Bloodwood Native Forest Protection Project

Bloodwood Native Forest Protection Project is an avoided deforestation project located approximately 130km northwest of Bourke in New South Wales. It was registered in July 2015 and covers 24,725.02 ha.

Avoided deforestation projects involve preventing native forests from being cleared and converted into agricultural systems. To meet the standard requirements of this methodology, the project area must have had a statutory clearing permit issued prior to 1 July 2010. By preventing this permitted clearing, the project avoids the greenhouse gas emissions that would have occurred and allows the forest to continue sequestering carbon.

The region surrounding Bourke is heavily utilised for pastoral operations, primarily large-scale sheep and cattle grazing. The environment is classified as semi-arid with a low typical rainfall. The soils in this outback landscape generally consist of red sandy loams, red earths, and areas of clay on floodplains.

The project actively avoids emissions by not clearing the native forest, but it also protects a highly unique local environment. The Bloodwood property is host to a lake system that contains the richest array of fairy shrimps, clam shrimps, and shield shrimps in the world [1]. Since acquiring the property in 2008, the landowners have used the carbon project income as a financial buffer to relieve grazing pressure on the fragile landscape [1]. The property is now managed with strict environmental sensitivity, focusing on ecosystem repair, extensive fencing, and rigorous feral animal control, taking on agistment cattle only during exceptionally good seasons [1]. Furthermore, on 2 October 2015, the project was updated to vary its operating method from the 2013 determination to the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Avoided Deforestation 1.1) Methodology Determination 2015.