2021 AGECLASS - LIMESTONE PLANTATIONS

2021 AGECLASS - LIMESTONE PLANTATIONS is a Plantation Forestry project located in the Green Triangle region, spanning the border between South Australia and Victoria. The project areas are situated approximately 15km southeast of Penola, SA, and 25km northwest of Casterton, VIC. Registered in September 2020, the project covers a total area of 2,089.57 hectares.

The Green Triangle is Australia's premier softwood forestry region, characterized by extensive pine plantations alongside grazing and viticulture (particularly the famous Coonawarra wine region nearby). The environment is ideally suited for forestry, classified as a high rainfall zone with annual precipitation typically averaging between 600mm and 800mm. The soils in this area are often fertile sandy loams or the renowned "Terra Rossa" soils overlying a limestone base, which provides excellent drainage and root support for Pinus radiata.

This project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Plantation Forestry) Methodology Determination 2017. Its primary activities involve establishing new plantation forests and converting existing short-rotation plantations (typically harvested for pulpwood/woodchips) into long-rotation plantations (harvested for sawlogs). By extending the rotation period, the project allows trees to grow larger and be processed into structural timber products, which store carbon for decades longer than short-lived paper products.

OneFortyOne Plantations, the proponent, is a major trans-Tasman forestry company managing roughly 80,000 hectares in the region. The project name "2021 Ageclass" likely refers to the specific cohort of trees planted or converted during the 2021 operational year. OneFortyOne has stated in corporate reporting that their forestry operations sequester significantly more carbon than they emit, and they utilize projects like this to formalize those carbon benefits.