Carbon + Biodiversity ID1220

Carbon + Biodiversity ID1220 is an environmental planting project located in the Central West region of New South Wales, situated near Stuart Town, approximately 35 kilometres southeast of Wellington and 45 kilometres north of Orange. The project was registered in July 2022 and covers an area of 82 hectares. The surrounding region is traditionally utilized for agricultural purposes, specifically grazing and mixed farming, characterized by rolling slopes and open pastures.

The project operates under the "Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM" methodology. This involves establishing permanent plantings of native tree and shrub species on land that was previously cleared for agriculture. As part of the Australian Government's Carbon + Biodiversity (C+B) Pilot, this project not only generates Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for sequestering carbon but also likely receives biodiversity payments for creating habitat. The planting protocols typically require a diverse mix of local native species to improve ecosystem resilience, with stocking densities generally exceeding 200 stems per hectare to ensure canopy cover.

Environmentally, the site lies within a temperate climatic zone with an average annual rainfall of approximately 600mm to 650mm. The soil landscape in this area of the Central West Slopes typically consists of Red Chromosols (red-brown earths) and Dermosols, which are well-drained but can be susceptible to erosion if vegetation cover is removed. By reforesting this agricultural land, the proponents, Ian and Sharon Chapman, are working to restore local biodiversity corridors while sequestering carbon.