French Pass Project

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Sustainable Development Goal 6 "Clean Water and Sanitation" icon featuring a white water glass and drop on a blue background.
Rolling green hills with sparse trees and blue sky.

The Forest

This initiative aims to gradually restore the native bush on a 300 ha coastal farm located at French Pass in Marlborough over a 20 year period with help from Trees that Count.

The project commenced with meticulous management of wilding pines and animal pests. It progressed by firstly establishing layers of mānuka in 2022 and kānuka in 2023. Taking a long-term approach, the owners are systematically retiring grazing paddocks into permanent native forest. They plan to complement these plantings with additional species to foster a thriving native forest ecosystem suitable for the warm climate of the region.

A primary objective of this coastal initiative is to enhance water quality, with a particular focus on minimizing erosion runoff and sedimentation into the surrounding seas.

The People

The landowner is Gerard Malcolm.

Scenic aerial view of Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, featuring a coastline with clear blue waters and rolling hills under a partly cloudy sky.

The French Pass Project is located in the Marlborough Sounds of the South Island, on the French Pass.

The Location

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Technical Stuff

The French Pass Project is being undertaken under the Permanent Forest Category of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. The project issues New Zealand Units (NZUs) based on New Zealand Government rules for carbon sequestration rates by indigenous forest.

Once the NZUs are sold to a carbon offset buyer, they are cancelled in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Registry so they cannot be used by (or sold to) anyone else.

French Pass Project

Project Name

300 ha

Project Area

Gerard Malcolm

Project Owner

Landowner

Project Developer

Marlborough, New Zealand

Project Location

Continuation of pastorlaism (sheep/beef grazing)

Baseline Scenario

Permanent forest protection

Project Scenario

Afforestation/reforestation (A/R): Enhanced natural regeneration

Activity Type

Carbon sequestration; biodiversity conservation; water quality protection; climate resilience

Project Benefits

Not applicable

Trees Planted

Information to come

Carbon Credits Issued

New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme - Permanent Forest Category

Carbon Credit Standard

Ministry for Primary Industries

Verifier

New Zealand Emissions Trading Register

Carbon Credit Registry

Credits available for Business Clients

Carbon Credit Status

Follow The Money

Conservation costs money. The main cost elements are:

  1. Establishing a forest. This forest was established by nature because it naturally regenerated after the landowner stopped grazing this land.

  2. Conservation management costs. This includes pest and weed control, forest monitoring, and the administration of the carbon project (carbon returns, registry account management and general administration).

  3. Opportunity costs. This is the revenue that the landowner has given up to enable forest conservation to happen. In this project the landowner gave up revenue from pastoral farming - revenue that would normally be used to make a living off the land.

Carbon credit revenue goes to cover these costs.

A person standing on a grassy hill overlooking a body of water and mountains, carrying a shovel and backpack, with several cardboard boxes on the ground nearby.
Satellite map showing northern part of the South Island, New Zealand, highlighting Kahurangi National Park, Mount Richmond Forest Park, and Nelson Lakes National Park. Nearby cities include Nelson, Blenheim, and Picton. Coastal regions and the Cook Strait are visible.