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 Monaro region of southern New South Wales, approximately 28 kilometres northwest of the town of Delegate. Registered in July 2024, the project covers an area of 181.04 hectares. The surrounding area, nestled in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, is traditionally defined by agricultural use, primarily sheep and cattle grazing, alongside extensive commercial softwood forestry operations.

Operating under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) methodology, the project involves establishing permanent, mixed-species native trees on land that has been cleared and predominantly used for agricultural purposes for at least five years prior to commencement. To meet ACCU scheme requirements, these environmental plantings must be designed and maintained at a density capable of achieving forest cover, typically requiring a minimum of 200 stems per hectare and the potential to reach a canopy cover of at least 20% at a height of two metres or more.

The local environment in this sub-alpine and foothill region experiences a temperate, moderate-to-high rainfall climate. The undulating landscape typically features podzolic soils, with shallower lithosols on the ridges and productive clay loams in the valleys, supporting robust native vegetation growth alongside commercial crops.

An interesting note about this project is that the proponent, Snowy Mountains Forests Pty Limited, is primarily a large-scale commercial forestry operator that manages over 20,000 hectares of Pinus radiata plantations. This carbon project, initially registered as the 'Airlie Park Iona Woodland Regeneration Carbon Project' before its name was varied in October 2024, represents an integration of permanent, locally native environmental restoration into their broader commercial forestry operations. The project is facilitated in partnership with major carbon service provider Climate Friendly Pty Ltd.