CNCF Biodiverse Sandalwood 2

CNCF Biodiverse Sandalwood 2 is a plantation forestry project located approximately 30km north-east of Brookton in the Western Australian Wheatbelt. Registered in July 2019, the project covers a total area of 47 hectares on what was previously cleared agricultural land. The project is managed by Carbon Positive Australia (formerly the Carbon Neutral Charitable Fund), a charity that works with landholders to restore degraded landscapes.

The project operates under the Plantation Forestry methodology, which differs from standard environmental plantings by allowing for the commercial harvest of timber. In this specific case, the project establishes a biodiverse mix of native Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) alongside host trees such as Acacia and Allocasuarina. While the trees serve as a natural wind buffer to reduce soil erosion and improve biodiversity, the methodology permits the landholder to harvest sandalwood nuts and timber once the trees reach maturity, typically after 25 years.

The Brookton region is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, receiving an average annual rainfall of approximately 446mm. The landscape is dominated by dryland cropping and grazing, and the soils in this specific area are described as fragile and prone to wind and water erosion, a key motivation for the restorative planting. This project creates a "working forest" model that integrates conservation benefits with potential future income for the farmer.