Australian Forests For A Cleaner Climate #1

Australian Forests For A Cleaner Climate #1 is a plantation forestry project located across multiple sites in Southern Tasmania, specifically situated near the towns of Ouse in the Derwent Valley and Buckland on the East Coast. The project sites lie approximately 50 to 80km from Hobart. Registered in June 2020, the project covers a total area of approximately 586 hectares. The region is heavily utilized for forestry, agriculture, and grazing due to its productive landscapes.

The project operates under the Plantation Forestry methodology, which differs from permanent environmental plantings by focusing on commercial timber systems. This specific project employs a "short-to-long rotation" conversion strategy. This involves changing the management of existing plantations (typically Pinus radiata) from short cycles used for pulpwood or woodchips (harvested every 12-15 years) to longer cycles used for sawlogs (harvested every 25-30 years). By extending the life of the trees, the average carbon stock on the land increases significantly over time. It also includes the establishment of new plantation forests on land that was previously used for pasture or cropping.

Environmentally, the project areas experience a cool temperate climate with distinct variations; the Derwent Valley sites near Ouse are in a rain shadow area receiving moderate rainfall (approx. 600mm-800mm), while the sites closer to Bushy Park and the wetter highlands receive significantly more. The soils in these regions are predominantly derived from Jurassic dolerite, characterized as clay-rich, ferrosol, or dermosol soils, which are robust and well-suited for supporting dense timber plantations.

An interesting aspect of this project is its integration into the supply chain of major Australian corporations. Carbon credits (ACCUs) generated by this project have been purchased and retired by Inghams Group to certify their "Marion Bay" range of chicken products as Carbon Neutral. This highlights a direct link between Tasmanian forestry management and consumer food products in Australian supermarkets.