Improved Forestry Management (IFM)

Improved Forest Management (IFM) projects aim to regenerate and conserve forestry ecosystems and/or convert low-productive forest to high-productive forest and therefore create carbon emission reductions and carbon offsets.

Citola Improved Forest Management projects deliver Kyoto/non-Kyoto carbon offsets from IFM avoided deforestation, revegetation conservation and sustainable forestry projects as part of programs such as the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and other domestic and international carbon standards.  Eligible improved forestry management activities include:

  • Reforestation/Revegetation;
  • Improved Forest Management;
    • Reduced logging (sustainable forestry); and
    • Enhanced forest growth (conservation/protection with input such as weed removal);
  • Avoided Deforestation.

Improved Forest Management Methodologies

Improved Forest Management: Extension of Rotation Age

The Extension of Rotation Age methodology is consistent with Citola’s Sustainable Forestry Program. The baseline condition (i.e. "business as usual") stipulates that the project boundary geographically delineates the improved forest management project activity. The conditions under which this methodology is applicable include:

  • Forest management in both baseline and project scenarios involves clear cut or patch cut practices (with or without seed trees);
  • Forests must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or become FSC certified;
  • Project must have a projection of management practices under "business as usual" and IFM project activity scenarios; and
  • There may be no leakage through activity shifting to other lands owned or managed by project participants outside the bounds of the IFM project.

Improved Forest Management: The Conversion of Low-productive to High-productive Forest

The conversion of low-productive to high-productive forest methodology facilitates the quantification of carbon emision reductions in one or a combination of two activities:

  • Avoiding emissions from relogging of already logged-over forest; and
  • Rehabilitation of previously logged-over forest through activities such as liberation thinning and enrichment planting.

The baseline scenario consists of a logged ecosystem that may or may not be relogged where the following components are quantified: volume of timber removed during relogging (expanded to include emissions from total associated biomass losses); the amount of dead wood left after relogging; the carbon stored in harvested wood products; if absence of regrowth cannot be substantiated, regrowth of the residual stand; and, emissions associated with the establishment of infrastructure and fuel consumption.

As the baseline changes when the project is implemented, this methodology facilitates the quantification of the baseline components in two ways:

  • On the basis of data from a pre-relogging "business as usual" scenario; and
  • Comparision of the carbon stock components after relogging has occurred in a reference area similar to the IFM project.

The relationship between the two baseline options and the Project is established by analysing the logging rates in the baseline and determining the relationship to the actual IFM project data.