13. Calculator settings too conservative

Problem: Releasing the most farmer-unfriendly/most conservative editions of Methodologies first damages the CFI’s image among potential proponents. Bad word of mouth about the first edition robs later, more farmer-friendly ones. A Methodology for Quantifying Carbon Sequestration by Permanent Environmental Plantings of Native Species using the CFI Reforestation Modelling Tool. The Calculator settings are too conservative. The first farm-based offsets methodology established the reputation of the CFI among farmers as difficult, costly, and a poor deal. The Methodology applies to “the establishment of permanent environmental plantings which have the potential to attain a crown cover of at least 20% and a height of at least two metres.” This is the official definition of a ‘forest’ in Australia under the Carbon Farming Initiative. Accompanying the Methodology is a Reforestation Modelling Tool, which helps define the project area, and assist in estimating emissions and removals from the project, to enable the calculation of ACCUs generated by the project. But the Modelling Tool (Calculator) dictates a very high planting density, ie. 500-1000 per hectare, far higher than that necessary to attain 20% crown cover. This is more in line with an old-style investment forest than a “Grassy Woodland”. Woodlands are a category of vegetation differing from forests and rainforests by the height, spacing and crown cover of the component trees. They are defined as 'ecosystems that contain widely spaced trees with their crowns not touching' (David Lindenmayer, Mason Crane and Damian Michael, Woodlands, a disappearing landscape, CSIRO Publishing, 2005)  "Projected Foliage Cover' is the percentage of the soil surface that is shaded by the tree crowns. In woodlands it is usually between 10 and 30%...” Given that a lone paddock tree could reach 10 metres crown cover on its own, the density of planting of 1000 trees could theoretically cover the entire surface area of a hectare. A Grassy Woodland would be more attractive to a grazier because it does not lock the land up for 100 Years. The Methodology allows occasional “grazing” from 3 years after planting. In fact, grasslands need grazing or burning to prevent build-up of dead and oxidising vegetation which can block the emergence of fresh grasses. A Grassy Woodland would cost much less to establish due to the simple arithmetic of cost per stem planted. A Grassy Woodland represents a smaller risk of fire killing the trees due to the lower density of fuel reducing the heat generated. A Grassy Woodland costs less to re-establish should it be destroyed. A Grassy Woodland fits the definition given in the Methodology for Quantifying Carbon Sequestration by Permanent Environmental Plantings of Native Species using the CFI Reforestation Modelling Tool. Practical solution: Make the methodology determination meet the dimensions supplied in the official description of a CFI Forest for consistency.