PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3 REFORESTATION WITH NATIVE SPECIES IN THE PACHIJAL AND MIRA RIVER WATERSHEDS FOR CARBON RETENTION With technical support from Brian Krohnke, Mindo Cloudforest Foundation Project Title Reforestation with Native Species in the Pachijal and Mira River Watersheds for Carbon Retention Version 3 Date of Issue 10-August-2011 this version of the document issued Prepared By Mindo Cloudforest Foundation, CarbonNeg Initiative, Groenhart Contact Brian Krohnke, Camino Milpe-Pachijal y km 91 Vía Calacalí – La Independencia, Pichincha, Ecuador; [email protected]; www.mindocloudforest.org; +(5939)355-1949 v3.0 1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3 Table of Contents 1 Project Details ......................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Summary Description of the Project ............................................................................... 6 1.2 Sectoral Scope and Project Type .................................................................................. 10 1.3 Project Proponent .......................................................................................................... 10 1.4 Other Entities Involved in the Project ........................................................................... 10 1.5 Project Start Date .......................................................................................................... 11 1.6 Project Crediting Period ................................................................................................ 11 1.7 Project Scale and Estimated GHG Emission Reductions or Removals ........................ 11 1.8 Description of the Project Activity ............................................................................... 12 1.9 Project Location ............................................................................................................ 14 1.10 Conditions Prior to Project Initiation ............................................................................ 18 1.11 Compliance with Laws, Statutes and Other Regulatory Frameworks .......................... 22 1.12 Ownership and Other Programs .................................................................................... 22 1.12.1 Proof of Title ......................................................................................................... 22 1.12.2 Emissions Trading Programs and Other Binding Limits ...................................... 22 1.12.3 Participation under Other GHG Programs ............................................................ 22 1.12.4 Other Forms of Environmental Credit .................................................................. 22 1.12.5 Projects Rejected by Other GHG Programs.......................................................... 22 1.13 Additional Information Relevant to the Project ............................................................ 23 1.13.1 Eligibility Criteria ................................................................................................. 23 1.13.2 Leakage Management ........................................................................................... 24 1.13.3 Commercially Sensitive Information .................................................................... 24 1.13.4 Further Information ............................................................................................... 24 2 Application of Methodology ................................................................................................. 25 2.1 Title and Reference of Methodology ............................................................................ 25 2.2 Applicability of Methodology....................................................................................... 25 2.3 Project Boundary .......................................................................................................... 25 2.4 Baseline Scenario .......................................................................................................... 37 2.5 Additionality ................................................................................................................. 43 2.6 Methodology Deviations ............................................................................................... 45 3 Quantification of GHG Emission Reductions and Removals ............................................... 46 3.1 Baseline Emissions ....................................................................................................... 46 3.2 Project Emissions .......................................................................................................... 48 3.3 Leakage ......................................................................................................................... 48 3.4 Summary of GHG Emission Reductions and Removals .............................................. 50 4 Monitoring ............................................................................................................................ 53 4.1 Data and Parameters Available at Validation ............................................................... 54 4.2 Data and Parameters Monitored .................................................................................... 56 4.3 Description of the Monitoring Plan .............................................................................. 60 4.3.1 Purpose of the monitoring plan ................................................................................. 60 4.3.2 The monitoring plan in general ................................................................................. 60 4.3.3 Data management...................................................................................................... 61 v3.0 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VCS Version 3 General instructions on data collection ................................................................................ 61 Data storage.......................................................................................................................... 62 Information management system .......................................................................................... 62 Monitoring periods and frequency ........................................................................................ 62 Good practices ...................................................................................................................... 62 4.3.4 Stratification and sampling design ............................................................................ 62 4.3.5 Monitoring of project implementation: forest establishment and forest mgmt ........ 63 Monitoring project boundary ................................................................................................ 64 Monitoring forest establishment ........................................................................................... 64 Monitoring of forest management ......................................................................................... 65 4.3.6 Monitoring of GHG emissions and removals ........................................................... 65 Baseline net GHG removals by sinks ........................................................................................ 65 Leakage ..................................................................................................................................... 65 Actual net GHG removals by sinks/carbon pools: .................................................................... 66 4.3.7 Monitoring community aspects................................................................................. 69 4.3.8 Monitoring biodiversity ............................................................................................ 70 4.4 Organizational structure ................................................................................................ 71 4.4.1 Schematic presentation ............................................................................................. 71 4.4.2 Actors involved: their responsibilities and competencies ......................................... 71 4.5 Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) ........................................................ 74 4.5.1 Field data collection .................................................................................................. 74 4.5.2 Data entry .................................................................................................................. 74 4.5.3 Data maintenance and archiving ............................................................................... 75 4.5.4 Uncertainty assessment ............................................................................................. 75 4.6 Procedures for handling internal auditing and non-conformities ................................. 75 5 Environmental Impact ........................................................................................................... 75 6 Stakeholder Comments ......................................................................................................... 76 Annex 1 CCB Standards Compliance Key ................................................................................... 77 Original Conditions in the Project Area................................................................................ 77 Baseline Projection ..............................................................................................................