The Range' Forest Regeneration Project

'The Range' Forest Regeneration Project is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 105km north-northeast of White Cliffs in the Far West region of New South Wales. Registered in November 2016, the project covers a substantial area of 27,591 hectares within the Unincorporated Area of NSW, a vast region roughly 100km southwest of Wanaaring.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Methodology, specifically focusing on the regeneration of permanent even-aged native forests. HIR projects of this type involve changes to land management, such as reducing stocking rates, managing the timing of grazing, and controlling feral animals, to allow native vegetation to regenerate from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers. The area had previously been subject to suppression of regrowth for at least 10 years prior to the project's commencement.

The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 275mm. The landscape features generally flat red loams to sandy loams, supporting vegetation typical of the Mulga Lands, including scattered Mulga, Box, Rosewood, and copper burr. Historically, the land has been utilized for pastoral grazing, capable of running Dorper ewes, goats, or cattle.

An interesting note is that the property "The Range" was listed for sale in 2015, just a year prior to the project's registration. The timing suggests the current proponents, the Norman and Watson families, may have acquired the land with the specific intent of integrating carbon farming into its pastoral operations. The project holds a fixed delivery contract with the Clean Energy Regulator, committing to supply over 230,000 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) over its contract period.