WA Cattle Conservation #11072022 - GKL

WA Cattle Conservation #11072022 - GKL is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) carbon project located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, approximately 45km northeast of the major mining city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Registered on August 14, 2023, the project covers a significant expanse of 130,565 hectares. The project area likely encompasses parts of the Gindalbie and Kanandah pastoral stations, indicated by the "GKL" acronym and the project's geographic coordinates which correspond to the pastoral rangelands north of the Trans-Australian Railway line.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) methodology. Unlike environmental planting projects which involve active tree planting, HIR projects focus on assisting the natural regeneration of native forests from existing seed stocks (in-situ seed banks, rootstock, or lignotubers). The primary activity involves managing "suppressors" that prevent regrowth, such as controlling feral animals (goats/camels) and managing the timing and extent of livestock grazing to allow young vegetation to reach forest maturity.

The region is characterized by a semi-arid to arid climate with low and variable rainfall, typically averaging roughly 260mm annually. The landscape is dominated by the Great Western Woodlands features, with soils primarily consisting of red sandy loams, red earth, and clay. Vegetation in this area typically includes Mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands, saltbush, and eucalypt species adapted to the red dirt conditions. The land use in this region is traditionally a mix of extensive rangeland cattle grazing and active gold/nickel mining exploration.

The project is developed in partnership with RegenCo, a carbon farming service provider that specializes in rangeland projects. The proponent, GKL Properties Pty Limited, appears to be an entity associated with pastoral holdings that may have historical or current ties to mining interests in the region, which is common in the Goldfields where pastoral leases often overlap with mineral tenements.