Meadow Glen Native Forest Protection Project

Meadow Glen Native Forest Protection Project is an Avoided Deforestation project located on a pastoral station approximately 60km west of Cobar, New South Wales. It was registered in September 2014 and covers a substantial 20,015.25 hectares.

Avoided Deforestation projects prevent greenhouse gas emissions by protecting native forests from being permanently cleared. To meet standard requirements under this methodology, projects must protect land that had a valid land-clearing permit issued before 1 July 2010, preventing its conversion to an agricultural system. The area is then actively managed to maintain a healthy structure of native trees, shrubs, and understorey.

The Cobar region is well known for vast pastoral properties focusing on sheep, goat, and seasonal cattle grazing. The area is situated within the Cobar Peneplain bioregion, which is characterized by a semi-arid climate with historically unreliable rainfall averaging around 364 mm annually. The property's landscape is gently undulating, with soils primarily consisting of red loams, earth, and sand that occasionally transition into higher stony outcrops. Field surveys of the native woodlands on the property show dominant species such as White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla), Mulga (Acacia aneura), and Hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa).

The project has undergone a couple of administrative changes since its inception, including a method variation in May 2015 to transition to the updated Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Avoided Deforestation 1.1) Methodology Determination 2015. Additionally, in June 2016, the participant names were varied from Mathew and Craig Zimmer to Terra Carbon Pty Limited. An interesting geographical note is that the property sits directly adjacent to the Barrier Highway, sharing its name with the nearby "Meadow Glen Rest Area," a very popular free camping spot for outback travellers.