Restoring a Forest.
Empowering a Valley.
A 50-year reforestation initiative transforming 3,500 hectares of degraded grasslands into thriving native forest — creating carbon removals, biodiversity habitat, and lasting economic benefit for the communities of the Markham Valley.
New Forest on Degraded Land
The Markham Valley sits between two mountain ranges of exceptional biodiversity — the Owen Stanley Range to the west and the mountains of the Huon Peninsula to the northeast. Its valley floor, cleared of forest during the colonial era, has been maintained as degraded Kunai grassland through annual burning for decades.
The Morobe Markham Reforestation Project is establishing a diverse, multi-layered native rainforest on this degraded land — land that currently has minimal commercial value and no trajectory toward natural recovery without intervention. The project transforms this grassland into a new permanent forest asset owned by the customary landowners of the Namoant Incorporated Land Group.
More than 30 hectares have already been planted as part of the initial community pilot, with local clans and villagers actively involved in planting activities from the outset.
Clans of the Namoant ILG — the customary landowners and co-stewards of the project area
Two Approaches.
One Forest.
The project operates two distinct and complementary reforestation programs, each designed to maximise carbon removal, ecological restoration, and community participation.
Shelterwood Plantation Program
A technically managed plantation program using a modified shelterwood silvicultural system to establish a structurally complex native forest across accessible areas of the project.
Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR)
A community-led program carried out by the clans and villagers of the Markham Valley in less accessible areas, working with nature to accelerate forest recovery on degraded land.
Starting with 3,500 Hectares.
Growing to 19,000+.
The plantation program begins with an initial 3,500-hectare phase, with a clear pathway to expand to 19,000 hectares and beyond as the project scales. Over 710 hectares within the wider project boundary are designated as protected conservation areas.
The broader Markham Valley contains approximately 26,000 hectares of suitable degraded grassland, with 60–70% of the 431,400-hectare district consisting of land with reforestation potential. Neighbouring clans have already expressed interest in participating in future expansions.
The valley's forests were cleared in the late 19th and early 20th century. The project is returning them — permanently, and in the hands of the communities who own the land.
All Native. All Purposeful.
All species selected for the project are native to Papua New Guinea, chosen for their ecological suitability, growth characteristics, carbon sequestration potential, and community value. The planting palette is designed to support a diverse, vertically stratified forest that provides food security and income opportunities alongside long-term carbon storage.
- Albizia (Falcataria)Nitrogen-fixing, fast-growing
- KamarereEucalyptus deglupta
- CasuarinaCasuarina oligodon — soil stabilisation
- ErimaOctomeles sumatrana — fast-growing
- Blackboard TreeAlstonia scholaris
- MerbauIntsia bijuga
- New Guinea RosewoodPterocarpus indicus
- Taun / Tava NutPometia pinnata
- MersawaAnisoptera thurifera
- Pacific WalnutDracontomelon dao
- Hoop PineAraucaria cunninghamii
- Canarium Nut (Galip)Canarium indicum
- Okari NutTerminalia kaernbachii
- Melinjo / TulipGnetum gnemon
- KapiakFicus dammaropsis — biodiversity support
- BinuangTerminalia brassii
Built with the Namoant ILG.
For the Markham Valley.
Namoant ILG — 17 Clans
The project operates on customary land held by the Namoant Incorporated Land Group, representing 6,821 people across 17 clans. Under PNG's constitutionally-codified customary tenure system, the land cannot be sold — it can only be leased. A 50-year Lease Agreement was signed July 1, 2024, following comprehensive FPIC engagement.
Free, Prior & Informed Consent
A multi-year FPIC process (2022–2024) engaged all 17 clan chairmen, with province-wide radio and newspaper outreach and consultations conducted in both English and Tok Pisin. Dedicated women-only sessions ensured gender-inclusive participation. All Community Development Committees require at least 50% women membership.
Community Benefit Sharing
The project's benefit-sharing structure was designed with the Namoant ILG before PNG's new Carbon Markets Regulation (2025). It includes an annual payment of 70 Kina per planted hectare directly to ILG members, with 70% of lease payments flowing into a community-managed Development Fund for housing, sanitation, and communications. The project is committed to full compliance with all applicable PNG regulatory requirements.
A New Permanent Asset
The degraded grasslands being reforested currently have minimal commercial value. The project creates an entirely new forest asset on this land — one that the Namoant ILG will own in perpetuity. This distinguishes the project fundamentally from REDD+ conservation projects, which protect forests that already exist.
ANR — Community-Led Forestry
The Assisted Natural Regeneration program places local clans and villagers at the centre of forest restoration in less accessible areas. This community-led model requires minimal external inputs and can be implemented anywhere — the project believes it represents a replicable model for communities throughout Papua New Guinea.
Morobe Government Support
The project is backed by the Provincial Government of Morobe at the regional level and the CCDA of Papua New Guinea at the national level — with a permit formally approved by the CCDA Board on March 18, 2026, and the Morobe Provincial Government having signed a Memorandum of Agreement in April 2023.
Progressing Toward
Isometric Listing
Memorandum of Agreement signed with Morobe Provincial Government establishing the legal and institutional framework for the project.
Formal Lease Agreement signed with Namoant ILG following completion of FPIC process with overwhelming community support.
Papua New Guinea's Climate Change and Development Authority formally approved the project permit at the CCDA Board Meeting — a foundational requirement for carbon credit certification.
Isometric's Chief Science Officer issued a Letter of Review confirming the project demonstrates a clear and credible approach to carbon removal under the Isometric Reforestation Protocol v1.1. An additional review of datasets and methodology is underway.
Formal pilot planting commenced under the plantation program, generating empirical field data to inform full-scale rollout and carbon credit quantification.
Contingent on completion of remaining review steps, the project is progressing toward listing on the Isometric registry and initial carbon removal credit issuance.
Letter of Review — Morobe Markham Reforestation Project
"Based on our review to date, the project demonstrates a clear and credible approach to carbon removal consistent with the requirements of the Isometric Reforestation Protocol v1.1. The proposed methods, including native species planting, assisted natural regeneration, and sustainable forest management, align with established scientific and operational expectations for reforestation-driven carbon removal under comparable environmental conditions in the Markham Valley."
"We are confident, based on the evidence reviewed thus far, that the Morobe Markham Reforestation Project is generating a meaningful carbon removal signal and is well positioned to generate carbon removal credits contingent on completion of remaining review steps and adherence to applicable standards and protocols."
Chief Science Officer, Isometric
Project Updates
CCDA Board Approves Morobe Markham Reforestation Project Permit
Papua New Guinea's Climate Change and Development Authority has officially approved the project's permit application at the CCDA Board Meeting, opening the pathway to formal carbon credit certification.
Isometric Chief Science Officer Issues Letter of Review Confirming Credible Carbon Removal Approach
Isometric's Chief Science Officer has confirmed the project's methods align with scientific and operational expectations under the Isometric Reforestation Protocol v1.1. An additional review is underway ahead of registry listing.
30+ Hectares Planted — Community Pilot Program Underway
More than 30 hectares have been planted as part of the initial community pilot, with local clans and villagers from the Namoant ILG actively participating in planting activities across the Markham Valley.
The Team Behind
the Project
Primary developer and project manager with nearly a decade of experience on forest-based carbon projects in Papua New Guinea, including verified carbon credit distributions to over 13,000 local people and more than 1 million hectares of forest under sustainable management.
Secondary developer, project finance and marketing lead, and technical support partner. A cross-disciplinary team of asset managers, project developers, and carbon market specialists with global experience in sustainable real assets and nature-based solutions.
Responsible for nursery and plantation management, on-the-ground planting operations, and seedling supply chain management. Decades of forestry experience rooted in Lae, Morobe Province, including senior faculty roles at Bulolo University College of Forestry.
The Namoant Incorporated Land Group represents 6,821 customary landowners across 17 clans of the Markham Valley. The foundational community partner and co-steward of the project area, holding the land in perpetuity under PNG's customary tenure system.
Carbon credit methodology and certification provider under the Isometric Reforestation Protocol v1.1. On March 23, 2026, Isometric's Chief Science Officer issued a Letter of Review confirming the project demonstrates a clear and credible approach to carbon removal. The project is progressing toward listing on the Isometric registry.
Social practices advisor providing guidance on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) safeguards, community engagement best practices, and equitable benefit sharing in carbon and nature-based solution markets. Previously engaged on the Topaiyo project in PNG.