Cougar Regeneration Project

Cougar Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 31km north-northwest of Cobar in New South Wales. Registered in October 2015, the project covers an area of 6,553.10 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects aim to establish permanent, even-aged native forests by assisting regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. Standard requirements for this methodology dictate that projects must be situated on land previously cleared of vegetation where regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years prior to commencement. To achieve the necessary forest cover standard, the Cougar Regeneration Project involves the humane management of feral animals alongside the management of the timing and extent of livestock grazing, effectively removing the pressures that previously suppressed native vegetation.

The Cobar region is a semi-arid environment primarily characterized by pastoral grazing (predominantly sheep and cattle) and historical mining operations. The area experiences low rainfall, and soils largely consist of red earths, sandy loams, and shallow stony ridges typical of the Cobar Peneplain.

The project has undergone several administrative changes, including a January 2023 variation of proponents from Kerri Rees and Peter Jelley to Megan Barker and Mathew Farrell, and an August 2023 methodology update to Compilation No. 3. Select Carbon Pty Ltd and Peter Jelley are also involved as project participants. Additionally, the project is linked to Carbon Abatement Contract CAC102845, under which 38,311 abatement units have been delivered to the Commonwealth through a Fixed Delivery obligation. Interestingly, independent academic research published in 2024 included this project in a national-scale dataset study on vegetation recovery, noting it as one of several HIR projects that utilized oversized comparison areas relative to its credited area.