Fresh Earth Agriculture - Cooksale West Reforestation Project

Fresh Earth Agriculture - Cooksale West Reforestation Project is an environmental planting project located near Peelwood in the Upper Lachlan Shire of New South Wales. The project is situated approximately 55 kilometres north of Crookwell and about 100 kilometres north of Goulburn. Registered on December 2, 2025, the project covers a total area of 115.66 hectares. The project name "Cooksale" appears to be a typographic variation in the registry for "Cooksvale," a known locality and road (Cooksvale Road) in the Peelwood area where related agricultural properties are found.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings-FullCAM 2024 methodology. This involves establishing and maintaining permanent plantings of native tree and shrub species on land that was previously cleared, typically for grazing or cropping. The method requires a stocking density sufficient to achieve forest cover, generally at least 200 stems per hectare, using species local to the area to replicate the structure of the native vegetation community.

The Peelwood region is characterized by its high rainfall grazing country, with annual precipitation averaging around 760mm to 780mm. The terrain in this area is typically undulating, featuring creek flats that rise into timbered hills. Soil types in the immediate vicinity of Cooksvale Road are described as granite-derived brown-yellow-red sandy loams, which differ from the sedimentary argillite and basalt soils found in other parts of the tablelands. The land use in the surrounding region is predominantly sheep and cattle breeding.

This project appears to be part of a broader portfolio managed by Fresh Earth Agriculture, which includes other registered projects such as the "Cooksvale East Reforestation Project" and "Cooksvale Reforestation Project." These projects are likely situated on or near the "Cooksvale East" property, a former sheep and cattle station known for its biodiversity potential and productive creek flats along Cooksvale Creek.