Future Forestry Cowwarr-Seaton Environmental Planting Pilot

Future Forestry Cowwarr-Seaton Environmental Planting Pilot is an environmental planting project located near Cowwarr and Seaton, approximately 30km northeast of Traralgon in Victoria. It was registered in November 2020 and covers 25.96ha.

Environmental planting projects involve establishing permanent forest cover through planting a mix of native or mallee tree species. Standard requirements dictate that these species must be planted at a density sufficient to achieve forest cover, which typically means at least 200 stems per hectare to meet the methodology's canopy guidelines.

The Cowwarr and greater West Gippsland area is renowned for its highly productive agricultural operations, predominantly dairy farming and beef cattle grazing, alongside timber and forestry. The region typically experiences reliable, moderate-to-high rainfall, and its soils are largely comprised of Dermosols and Sodosols, providing highly fertile ground that supports strong vegetative growth and natural ecosystems.

This project was established to create permanent plantings of a mix of tree species native to the local area. The planting takes place on land that was predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to the project's commencement. As an interesting administrative note, the project underwent a start-date variation in March 2021, shifting the crediting period from its initial November 2020 registration date to May 2022.