Cougar Regeneration Project

The Cougar Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located on the "Cougar" property in the locality of Tindarey, approximately 35 kilometers north-northwest of Cobar in New South Wales. Registered in October 2015, the project covers a substantial area of 6,553 hectares within the Cobar Shire. The site is situated along Mulya Road, near the Mount Drysdale area, a region historically associated with mining and pastoral activities.

Human-Induced Regeneration projects in this region focus on regenerating permanent native forests by addressing suppression activities, primarily grazing pressure. The Cougar project specifically manages the timing and extent of grazing and controls feral animals (such as goats) to allow native vegetation, likely comprising Mulga (Acacia aneura), Bimble Box, and White Cypress Pine, to regenerate from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers. The methodology requires that the land was cleared of vegetation and regrowth was suppressed for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement.

The project is situated within the Cobar Peneplain bioregion, an area characterized by a semi-arid climate with variable rainfall (averaging 300–400mm annually). The terrain typically consists of undulating plains with low ridges, featuring Red Earths and lithosols (skeletal soils). The primary land use in the surrounding district is rangeland grazing for sheep and goats, making the management of total grazing pressure a critical component of the project's success.

Notable administrative changes have occurred during the project's lifespan, including a variation in proponents in January 2023, where ownership or responsibility likely transferred from Kerri Rees and Peter Jelley to the current proponents, Megan Barker and Mathew Farrell. The project is managed with the assistance of Select Carbon Pty Ltd, a carbon service provider now operating under Shell Energy.