Lenah2025R_Howlett_S2

Lenah2025R_Howlett_S2 is a Plantation Forestry project located in the Derwent Valley region, roughly 35km north of Hobart in Tasmania. It was registered in August 2025 and initially covered an area of 213.57 hectares, though additional areas were added through a project area variation in April 2026.

Plantation forestry projects under the Carbon Farming Initiative sequester carbon by establishing new plantation forests, avoiding the conversion of existing plantations to non-forest land, or converting short-rotation to long-rotation plantations. Standard requirements dictate that the project area must not have cleared or replaced native forest within the preceding seven years, and it must meet the method's strict definitions for a commercial plantation forest. For this project, the activities focus on converting an existing short-rotation plantation forest, typically grown for pulpwood, to a long-rotation plantation forest for the commercial harvesting of solid wood products. By extending the rotation length, the trees capture and store carbon for a significantly longer period before harvest.

The Derwent Valley and the broader South Central Tasmanian region are well known for commercial forestry, agriculture, and grazing. The area benefits from a cool temperate climate with moderate to high rainfall, which provides ideal growing conditions for radiata pine. Soils in the region vary but typically consist of fertile clay and sandy loams that are highly suitable for intensive silviculture operations.

The project is situated on Lenah Estate, a large timber plantation asset spanning over 27,000 hectares that was acquired by New Forests in 2020 and is managed by the project's agent, SFM Environmental Solutions. Interestingly, SFM has implemented 'Firehawk', an innovative AI-assisted, camera-based early fire detection system across the estate. This system provides real-time bushfire monitoring with a 360-degree view, allowing for rapid aerial and ground-based responses to protect the valuable timber resource. Additionally, SFM has been actively involved in environmental restoration efforts along the nearby Tyenna River, mitigating the impacts of historical plantations' proximity to the water to protect habitats for native species such as the platypus.