Lake Echo (Revoked)

Lake Echo (Revoked) was an avoided deforestation project located on the eastern shore of Lake Echo in the Central Highlands of Tasmania, approximately 10km from the nearest town of Bothwell. The project was registered in August 2017 and covered a total area of 17.21 hectares.

Registered under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative - Designated Verified Carbon Standard Projects) Methodology Determination 2015, the project was originally validated under the Verified Carbon Standard and designed to protect native forests situated on private land from scheduled harvesting. This methodology type generates carbon credits by ensuring the carbon stored in mature native vegetation remains safely sequestered in the landscape rather than being released through logging and land clearing.

The Central Highlands region around Lake Echo is heavily utilised for hydro-electricity generation, commercial forestry, livestock grazing, and wind energy. The environment is known for cool, wet winters with an average annual rainfall of approximately 1,040 mm. Soils in this upland landscape are typically rocky and podzolic, derived from Jurassic dolerite, which support dense eucalypt forests and highland heath.

This project has a particularly interesting history. It was initially registered as a subset of a broader "Forests Alive: Protection of Tasmanian Native Forest" project. In late 2017, the 17.21-hectare area was carved out via a project area variation to form the independent Lake Echo project. As a precursor to voluntary revocation, the proponent, Forests Alive Pty Ltd, voluntarily relinquished 56 Kyoto Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs). The project was officially revoked in September 2017, just a month after registration. Project documentation and environmental review reports indicate this variation and revocation were made to accommodate the construction footprint of the nearby Cattle Hill Wind Farm, which required clearing allowances in the formerly protected carbon forest.