“Weyerhaeuser Uruguay” Forest Plantations on Degraded Grasslands under Extensive Grazing Project
Validated conformance with the Verified Carbon Standard Version 3: January 4, 2013 (RA-VAL-VCS- 017337)
The project comprises a total of 18,191 ha of land previously under extensive grazing by beef cattle, on which forest plantations for obtaining high-value, long-lived timber products and for sequestering large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere will be established. Forests will be based mainly on plantings of eucalyptus and pine plantations on 16 and 21-year Rotations, managed with pruning and thinnings, to obtain knot-free, high-diameter logs suitable for saw-milling and veneering. Plantation will be completed by year 7 of project and forests will be replanted after clear-cut harvest.
The project activity is implemented on degraded land, which is expected to continue to degrade in the absence of the project and hence the land cannot be expected to revert to a non-degraded state without human intervention. The main objectives of the project activity are wood production, land restoration and carbon sequestration through afforestation. Weyerhaeuser Uruguay project will be established with a long-term perspective, with the ultimate purpose of achieving long-term sustainability and improving soil quality. Sustainable timber and cattle production and climate change mitigation are part of Weyerhaeuser Uruguay’s objectives. The selection of forest management practices based on uneven lengths rotation cycles in a region far from timber markets is only possible with the additional carbon financing.
Practices will be compatible with PEFC standard for sustainable forest management. Planted forests will remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in different carbon pools (living above-ground and below-ground biomass, soil, litter, non-tree vegetation, dead wood and harvested wood products). The project will also result in a significant contribution to sustainable development of Uruguay, mainly through: i) increased employment and quality of employment; ii) rural development (decentralization); iii) increased gross value of production; iv) improved fiscal balance; v) biodiversity preservation and vi) improvement and preservation of soil quality.