Snowy Mountains Forest Environmental Plantings Carbon Project #1

Snowy Mountains Forest Environmental Plantings Carbon Project #1 is an environmental planting project located in the Snowy Mountains region, approximately 40km west of Bombala and near the town of Delegate in New South Wales. It was registered in July 2024 and covers an area of 181.04 hectares. The surrounding region is predominantly used for agriculture, including cattle and sheep grazing, as well as large-scale commercial softwood forestry operations.

Environmental planting projects involve establishing permanent plantings of a mix of native tree species on land that was predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to project commencement. These projects typically require planting native trees at a sufficient density (usually at least 200 stems per hectare) to achieve a minimum of 20% forest canopy cover, effectively sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as the trees and biomass grow. The tree species chosen for this project are strictly native to the local area.

The Monaro and Snowy Mountains area is generally classified as a high-rainfall zone, driven by the orographic effects of the Great Dividing Range, which supports both robust agricultural yields and timber growth. The region's soils are highly variable but are typically basalt-derived Dermosols and Ferrosols, or granite-based clay loams and Chromosols.

Interestingly, the project was originally registered under the name "Airlie Park Iona Woodland Regeneration Carbon Project" before undergoing a formal name variation in October 2024. The project proponent is Snowy Mountains Forests Pty Limited, acting as a trustee for the Snowy Mountains Forests Australia Trust. This entity is a major forestry manager in the region, operating over 23,000 hectares of softwood plantations across the Snowy Valleys, Oberon, and Bombala. The project is also supported by the carbon service provider Climate Friendly Pty Ltd.