Mt Solitary Native Forest Protection Project

Mt Solitary Native Forest Protection Project is an Avoided deforestation project located just east of Mount Hope in the Cobar local government area of NSW, approximately 150km south of Cobar. It was registered in November 2018 and covers an initial area of 7723.23ha, though a variation in February 2019 removed some listed areas from the project.

Avoided deforestation projects prevent greenhouse gas emissions by protecting native forests from being cleared and converted into agricultural systems. Under the 2015 Avoided Deforestation methodology, this specifically applies to land where a valid land-clearing permit was issued before 1 July 2010. The carbon stock for this project is determined by applying allometric equations to tree measurements that are collected through regular biomass surveys within the project area.

The surrounding Mount Hope and Cobar region is known for historical and active copper and gold mining operations. The surface land use in the area is predominantly goat, sheep, and cattle grazing on Western Lands Leases. The environment sits on the Cobar Peneplain, which experiences a semi-arid climate with low and variable rainfall averaging around 380mm to 390mm annually. The soils in this region are generally characterized by shallow red earths, sandy loams, and aeolian wind-blown sands situated over stony ridges.

The project is managed by Terra Carbon Pty Limited, a proponent that operates several other Native Forest Protection projects across New South Wales. By averting agricultural conversion, the project preserves critical native vegetation in an area historically subjected to heavy grazing pressure. Interestingly, the project shares its name with the historic Mt Solitary gold mine and an active gold exploration prospect located in the same local vicinity.