A community-led reforestation project in Papua New Guinea's Markham Valley, turning degraded grasslands into permanent native forest, sequestering carbon, growing critical biodiversity habitat, and creating real, lasting income for the 6,821 people who own this land.
The Markham Valley lies between two mountain ranges of exceptional biodiversity, the Owen Stanley Range to the west and the Huon Peninsula ranges to the northeast. Its valley floor, one of PNG's most productive corridors, was cleared of its original forest during the colonial era and is now dominated by invasive Kunai grassland. Left alone, it won't recover. With monoculture operations starting to expand in the valley, restoring native forest here is an environmental priority.
The Morobe Markham Reforestation Project works directly with the Namoant Incorporated Land Group, the customary owners of this land, to establish a diverse, multi-layered native rainforest where degraded grassland stands today. Ownership stays with the Namoant ILG in perpetuity, with local stewardship built into the project from the ground up.
In partnership with MMRP's local foresters, community members are already on the ground, running nurseries and planting thousands of native trees across the pilot area. The pilot has proven the model. Full-scale implementation is the next step.
Clans of the Namoant ILG, the customary landowners and co-stewards of the project area
The project operates two distinct and complementary reforestation programs, each designed to maximise carbon removal, ecological restoration, and community participation.
A technically managed plantation program using a modified shelterwood silvicultural system to establish a structurally complex native forest across accessible areas of the project.
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.
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 to 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 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 supports a diverse, vertically stratified forest that provides food security and income opportunities alongside long-term carbon storage.
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, only leased. A 50-year Lease Agreement was signed July 1, 2024, following comprehensive FPIC engagement.
A multi-year FPIC process (2022-2024) engaged all 17 clan chairmen, with province-wide radio and newspaper outreach 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.
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 Kunai grasslands being reforested generate almost nothing for the communities who own them. This project creates a new forest on that land, one the Namoant ILG will hold in perpetuity. Unlike conservation projects that protect what already exists, every tree here is new. The communities aren't giving anything up. They're gaining a permanent asset on land that currently has almost no value.
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, a replicable approach for communities throughout Papua New Guinea.
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.
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, 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.
The project is now officially listed on the Isometric Registry under validation. Project code: 910R. Crediting period: October 2026 to October 2076. View on Isometric Registry →
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
The project is now officially listed on the Isometric Registry under validation. Project code 910R, crediting period October 2026 to October 2076, with first certificates expected in 2027. View the listing →
Papua New Guinea's Climate Change and Development Authority officially approved the project's permit application at the CCDA Board Meeting, opening the pathway to formal carbon credit certification.
Isometric's Chief Science Officer 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.
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. The project is now officially listed on the Isometric Registry under validation, with project code 910R and first certificates expected in 2027. View on 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.