Boothulla Regeneration Project

The Boothulla Regeneration Project is a large-scale Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 60 kilometers north-west of the small locality of Cooladdi, and roughly 110 kilometers west of the major service centre of Charleville in South West Queensland. Registered in August 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 72,656 hectares. The property, "Boothulla," is situated within the Mulga Lands bioregion and features significant frontage to the Paroo River, as well as Stockade and Cattle creeks.

Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects differ from environmental plantings in that they do not involve active tree planting. Instead, landholders manage the land to allow existing native vegetation to regenerate naturally. This is achieved by removing "suppressors" that previously prevented forest growth, such as mechanical clearing or intensive grazing pressure. For Boothulla, the primary project activities involve the cessation of mechanical or chemical destruction of regrowth and the strategic management of the timing and extent of grazing to facilitate forest recovery.

The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 400mm to 500mm, which can be highly variable. The landscape is dominated by open "mulga" (Acacia aneura) country and areas of Mitchell grass. Soils in this area are typically red, yellow, and grey massive earths (Kandosols) common to the Mulga Lands, with some heavier clay and alluvial soils found along the river and creek frontages. The primary land use in the region is cattle grazing; the Treloar family, who have held the property for five generations, transitioned from sheep to cattle in the early 2000s due to wild dog predation.

An interesting facet of this project is its integration with broader conservation efforts. The proponents have collaborated with Southern Queensland Landscapes to install riparian fencing along the Paroo River. This infrastructure supports the carbon project's goals by excluding cattle from sensitive riverbanks, thereby improving water quality and biodiversity while allowing for controlled grazing in the adjacent mulga woodlands.