BushfireConf2015 - 25. Integrated fire and weed management for healthy ecosystems

Acknowledge and pay respects to

Elders past, present and future

Fire, Weeds and Healthy Ecosystems

“Reconnecting Gondwana Project”(Western Dorrigo Plateau)

Bushfire Program

Firesticks

Hotspots Fire Project

Upper Coldstream Project

Four year project – greatest diversity of threatened species in NSW (>110 spp.) and amongst the most diverse eucalypt forests globally

Over 40 landholders involved

4,000 hectare project area

25,000ha connected landscape

UPPERCOLDSTREAMBIODIVERSITY.PROJECT

Upper Coldstream Biodiversity Project

UPPERCOLDSTREAMBIODIVERSITY.PROJECT

Landscape-scale conservation activities and fire

• Interactions of fire and weeds

• The role of fire in removing weeds and promoting regeneration of native species?

• Protecting some of the only known populations in NSW of key threatened species

• Pest animal and predator interactions with fire?

UPPERCOLDSTREAMBIODIVERSITY.PROJECT

Coastal emu conservation program

• A small population - declined steeply in recent decades

• Impacts of dense lantana on emu movement? • Will fire promote food resources?• Regeneration of emu feed species in degraded

areas through targeted use of fire? • Management of nest sites: Location?

Protection from fire and predators?

“Reconnecting Gondwana Project”(Western Dorrigo Plateau)

Reconnecting Gondwana Project

Willows & Boorabee IPA

Wattleridge IPA

Casino Boolangle LALC

Minyumai IPA

Jali IPA

Ngulingah LALC

Gugin Gudduba LALC

• The Firesticks project is creating relevant legislative pathways for Aboriginal communities to undertake fire management for the protection of cultural and ecological values.

• Building recognition of Aboriginal conservation areas such as IPA’s and their importance as part of the National Reserve System

• Creating opportunities for communities to build confidence in using fire as a management tool through training and on-ground implementation

• The establishment of long-term monitoring plots on IPAs to assess response of fauna groups pre and post fire

• Building partnerships between agencies and landholders to achieve landscape-scale conservation outcomes

• Trialling innovative techniques in managing invasive weeds

• Development of integrated property management plans to communicate and work towards community aspirations

Co-delivered by the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC), under a 9 partnered Advisory Committee

Hotspots provides landholders and land managers with the skills and knowledge they need to participate in fire management planning.

This award winning program operates on a core belief that well-informed and well-prepared communities complement the roles of land managers and fire agencies and that a shared approach to fire management is critical to any form of planning.

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Delivery since inception in 2005: 146 workshops1888 landholders888 fire management plans Covering 201,203 hectares

VERY FEW PROPERTIES LACK WEEDS

Bowen Mountain Workshop Series

Community monitoring Landholder materials for ecological monitoring e.g. Factsheet/how to guide how to effectively use photo points and camera traps for monitoring change

Online fire management planning toolRoll-out delivery strategy with partners and pilot with landholder groups

http://hotspotsfireproject.org.au/fire-management-plan

Fire and Weeds Review