Kaleno Native Forest Protection Project

The Kaleno Native Forest Protection Project is an Avoided Deforestation project located on Kaleno Station, approximately 85km south-west of Cobar in New South Wales. Registered in September 2015, the project operates on a large pastoral holding of roughly 32,800 hectares. The region is situated within the Cobar Peneplain bioregion, an area traditionally utilized for grazing sheep and goats, as well as some opportunistic cropping.

The project operates under the Avoided Deforestation 1.1 methodology, which targets land where a government clearing permit was issued prior to July 1, 2010. By choosing not to exercise this right to clear the native forest for agricultural use (such as crops or grassland), the project prevents significant carbon emissions. The forest is instead managed to maintain carbon stocks, often involving the control of grazing pressure and feral animals to allow vegetation to persist.

Environmentally, the site is characterized by a semi-arid climate with hot summers and variable rainfall averaging around 390mm annually. The landscape features rolling downs and low ridges with red earth and sandy loam soils. Vegetation is typical of the "mulga lands," dominated by species such as Poplar Box (Eucalyptus populnea), White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla), and various Eremophila species.

The project is owned by Pauline and Barry Oliver, who run the property. Revenue generated from the sale of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) has reportedly allowed the owners to invest in significant infrastructure upgrades, such as new fencing and cattle yards, and to better manage feral goat populations which degrade the landscape. While Terra Carbon Pty Limited is the registered proponent, the project has been developed in partnership with GreenCollar.