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NSW Parks Service staff: a threatened species?

We need national parks. Primarily they exist to protect wild nature. But many of them provide wonderful opportunities for outdoor pursuits, recreation, relaxation and solitude.

But national parks need staff. To manage the land, control weeds and invasive species of animals, manage for fire, provide interpretation and education, look after visitors and park infrastructure like tracks and other facilities.

Sadly in NSW, the state government is carrying out a major ‘restructure’ of the Parks Service which, according to the Public Service Association (the public sector union representing Parks employees) “will cuts jobs and push hundreds and hundreds of years of experience out the door.”

Continue reading “NSW Parks Service staff: a threatened species?” →

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New track proposed close to Federation Peak

A group of investors are proposing a track to a remote wilderness lake at the base of Federation Peak in Tasmania’s South-West.

They have developed a consortium called the Geeves Effect, and are pushing for a 2.5 km track extension to ‘provide walkers with views of Lake Geeves’.

According to reports in The Mercury, they say that ‘the bushwalk could rival Cradle Mountain and Three Capes Tracks as a tourism magnet’.

The Bob Brown Foundation opposes what it calls an ‘invasion of the citadel of Tasmania’s wilderness by private enterprise using public money’, warning that it would open the door to private development.

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Australian Alpine Ascent, March 2018

Now that we’re well and truly into trail running season I expect that lots of people who love running events are in training. It’s always good to have something to work towards. If you’ve been a bit slow off the mark, the Australian Alpine Ascent will be held in the Snowy Mountains on March 10.

Plenty of time to get in shape!

Full details below.

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Riding for the Great Forest National Park – day ride to Starlings Gap

Aidan Kempster has been raising the profile of the proposal to create a Great Forest National Park through riding the trails and roads of the Central Highlands. He has been sharing his trips and insights on his website Riding for the Great Forest. He has also started to lead day rides, which are open to all people who are keen to do some MTB riding in these precious and threatened forests.

The next ride is on this Saturday (November 11) near Starlings Gap, which is near Warburton.

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The Alpine Challenge – 6 major climbs of Victoria’s highest peaks

The Alpine Challenge is without doubt the toughest, most challenging, most spectacular and rewarding mountain trail run in Australia – if not the southern hemisphere over four separate routes of varying lengths (36 km,  60km, 100 km and 160km). The 100 mile (160 km) course takes in 6 major climbs with 7,600 m of ascent and descent including Mt Feathertop, Mt Hotham, Mt McKay, Spion Kopje, Mt Nelse and Victoria’s highest mountain, Mt Bogong, plus five river crossings. The 100 km involves over 4,000 m of ascent and descent and the 60 km course over 2,000 m of ascent and descent, whilst for those undertaking the 36 km run you will have over 1,300 m of ascent.

Key Information

Date: Saturday 25 November–Monday 27 November 2017

Location: Alpine National Park, Victoria, Australia

Start/Finish: Slalom Plaza, Falls Creek

You can find further information and register here.

 

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Canadian supreme court gives the green light to ski resort on sacred indigenous land

In devastating news for anyone concerned about the rights of indigenous people and protection of major wild areas, the Jumbo Glacier Resort has been given the green light by the Canadian supreme court.

The Jumbo Valley, located deep in the wilds of British Columbia’s Purcell Mountains, has long been revered for its spiritual significance and beauty. To the Ktunaxa Nation, it is known as Qat’muk, home of the grizzly bear spirit.

For decades, First Nations, conservationists, backcountry skiers and snowboarders have fought a proposed large-scale ski resort deep in the Jumbo valley. After 24 years of opposition, the campaign against the resort has been dealt a major blow with this court ruling.

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What are the environmental costs of the Mt Wellington cable car?

The proposed cable car which would cut up the face of Mount Wellington/ kunanyi has now received support from the Tasmanian government through legislation which will facilitate access to land to build the project.

But there are still many hurdles for the proponent. No final development proposal has been put forward as yet. As we wait to see what further developments will occur, it’s worth remembering the significant environmental impacts associated with the cable car proposal.

The following briefing was produced by Friends of the Earth Australia.

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The outdoor industry stands up to defend the Wild

What level of threat do we need to experience before we act?

The evidence that climate change is bearing down on us is absolutely compelling. And it is clear in regards to what is coming: the mountains and wild country that we love, which feeds our spirit and helps define who we are, is facing a grave, and potentially existential, threat. Without serious and concerted action to radically reduce greenhouse pollution now, we will experience shorter, more erratic winters, and longer and more frequent fire seasons. It will mean more frequent drought, hotter temperatures, and species pushed up the mountains until they run out of habitat.

Yet for the most part we continue with business as usual. The clock keeps ticking and we keep looking out the window, possibly hoping someone else will do something. The silence of the people who love the mountains – skiers, riders, hikers, climbers – and the industries who survive by supplying these communities – ski resorts, outdoor gear and tour companies – is generally deafening.

That’s why we have to be grateful wherever there is a rumbling of change, where companies and constituencies stir, get organised and speak out. One recent example comes for the USA, where the outdoor industry has become galvanised in opposing plans to undo protections for many (currently protected) wild places.

Continue reading “The outdoor industry stands up to defend the Wild” →

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Kuark forest protected through Court injunction

The Kuark forest is located in far East Gippsland, Victoria. This magnificent forest is home to rare rainforest and endangered animals. Sections of it are currently on logging schedules and could be cut at any moment. An access track has been cut into the first coupe.

In response, campaigners have set up a camp in the forest to oppose logging. In response, the Victorian government announced it would increase the protection given to old growth forests, but activists are not prepared for any of the coupe to be logged.

On Wednesday November 1st, a Supreme Court injunction has prevented logging from starting in the forest. Campaigners are celebrating this temporary protection.

Further information is available on the GECO website.

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Falls Creek Hawkweed Eradication Program Volunteer Surveys.

As you may know, Hawkweeds are a highly invasive pest plant species which could cause major environmental damage in alpine and sub-alpine areas of Australia if not eradicated early.

For several years there have been summer field trips where volunteers join with Parks Victoria to identify and remove Hawkweed from the Bogong High Plains. They will be on again this summer and you can register now.

Continue reading “Falls Creek Hawkweed Eradication Program Volunteer Surveys.” →

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The UrbanDura Alpine Challenge

This looks like an epic ride: from Omeo to the outskirts of Melbourne, over three days in April 2018. Riders are sponsored and will be raising funds for the Father Bob Foundation.

The following comes from the organisers:

UrbanEdge Homes and the Father Bob Foundation are joining forces again to feed people in need around the city fringe including St Kilda, South Melbourne and Flinders Street Station.

This year, the UrbanDura Boys are taking the fundraiser ride to new heights with the UrbanDura Alpine Challenge. The proposed course is set to start in Omeo and finish in Melbourne. This three day event will cover 435km of uphills and downhills.

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Increased fire frequency is changing snow gum forest structure

Mountain Journal has often reported on the impacts of climate change enhanced fire seasons on the mountains of Australia and, in particular, on plant species.

The iconic mountain species of the mainland, the Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora), has been hammered in recent decades by multiple fires, often with small gaps between fires.

MJ previously reported on work carried out by researchers from Melbourne University who found that ‘over 90% of the Victorian distribution of snow gums has been burned at least once since 2003. What is of greater concern though, is that each of the large fires of the last 15 years has overlapped to some extent, leaving thousands of hectares of snow gums burned by wildfire twice, and sometimes three times’.

They went on to say that higher incidences of bushfires, which are likely due to climate change, are devastating for the usually fire-tolerant snow gums of southern Australia.

Now an updated version of their work has been published in the Journal of Vegetation Science which delves into whether these more frequent and severe fires are leading to higher death rates of individual trees (individual snow gums have the ability to regrow after fire from ground level regrowth – called basal resprouts – but may also be killed). This work was carried out by Tom Fairman, Lauren Bennett, Craig Nitschke, and Shauna Tupper.

Continue reading “Increased fire frequency is changing snow gum forest structure” →

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