16Steps involved in accounting for a soil carbon project

16 Steps involved in accounting for a soil carbon project

 (1) For each area of land included as part of a project area for a soil carbon project:

 (a) the land must be mapped into one or more CEAs that, subject to subsection 17(6), remain fixed for the permanence obligation period for the project or are removed in accordance with subsection 9(4); and

 (b) a baseline sampling round must be conducted for each CEA:

 (i) if the land is included in the project area at declaration—within the first reporting period for the project; or

 (ii) if the land is included in the project area as the result of a section 29 application—within 18 months of the land being included in the project area for the project; and

 (c) at least one subsequent sampling round must be conducted during each reporting period in the crediting period for the project; and

Note: Note in the first reporting period after an area of land becomes part of a project, this requires both a baseline sampling round and a subsequent sampling round to be conducted. Sampling is not conducted on exclusion areas or emissions accounting areas.

 (d) for each sampling round, each CEA must be divided into strata consistent with any requirements in the Supplement; and

 (e) for each reporting period, all CEAs within a project area must have the same number of sampling rounds.

Note: Separate project areas within a project can have a different number of sampling rounds, such as where project areas are added to a project under a section 29 application.

 (2) Unless the Regulator agrees in writing that exceptional circumstances exist, a subsequent sampling round must meet any timing requirements specified in the Supplement.

Note: Exceptional circumstances may include poor weather conditions that inhibit site access or where the soil moisture is unsuitable for sampling at the planned time.