Cougar Regeneration Project

Cougar Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 35km north of Cobar in central-western New South Wales. It was registered in October 2015 and covers an area of 6,553.10 hectares.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects involve establishing permanent even-aged native forests through assisted regeneration from in-situ seed sources, such as rootstock and lignotubers. This method is applied on land that was previously cleared of vegetation and where regrowth had been actively suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement. For the Cougar Regeneration Project, the primary activities implemented to encourage native forest regrowth include managing the timing and the extent of livestock grazing, as well as the humane management of feral animals.

The region surrounding Cobar is historically known for pastoral operations, primarily the grazing of sheep, cattle, and rangeland goats. In recent years, carbon farming has emerged as a significant alternative land use in the district, supplementing traditional agricultural incomes. The regional environment is semi-arid, characterized by low and variable annual rainfall averaging around 400mm. The local landscape features a mix of soil types, predominantly consisting of red sandy loams, red Chromosols, and areas of grey and brown Vertosols (clays).

The project has undergone some administrative changes since registration. In January 2023, the participant names were varied from Kerri Rees and Peter Jelley to Megan Barker and Mathew Farrell. Furthermore, in August 2023, the project updated its methodology to the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Methodology Determination 2013 (Compilation No. 3). The project is supported by the carbon service provider Select Carbon Pty Ltd, who acts as the project agent. Under Commonwealth contract CAC102845, the project has actively delivered carbon abatement units to the Australian Government.