Wilderness area to be created in forests between Walpole and Denmark

12/5/99
A wilderness area will be created within a vast track of native forest between Walpole and Denmark under management plans to be prepared for three national parks.
Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes today said almost 90,000ha would be added to three national parks to create a continuous 215,000ha national park system along the south coast.
"These three parks - Mt Lindesay, Mt Roe and Mt Frankland - also will be linked to the Shannon National Park and D'Entrecasteaux National Park through conservation reserves," Mrs Edwardes said.
"This means that there will be a continuous formal conservation reserve network extending over 385,000ha of jarrah, karri, marri and tingle forest that encompasses biodiversity 'hot spots' and other attributes such as old growth and National Estate values.
"It reflects the balanced outcome the Commonwealth and State Governments have achieved under the Regional Forest Agreement so that all the values of the forest can be managed in an ecologically sustainable way."
Mrs Edwardes said the additional 90,000ha of forest reserved under the RFA extended across all or parts of 17 forest blocks.
"The State Government is committed to enhancing wilderness values based on the criteria for the National Wilderness Inventory set out by the Australian Heritage Commission," she said.
These criteria take into account issues such as remoteness from access and settlement and biophysical naturalness.
Mrs Edwardes said that while wilderness values had been identified, there was no wilderness area that met the national criteria in the South-West forest region.
The additional areas were selected for the richness of the native flora species and to ensure significant parts of all ecosystems were represented in the formal conservation reserve system.
The new areas reserved were identified by local conservation groups during the RFA consultation process. They included the South Coast Environment Group and the WA Forest Alliance.
Mrs Edwardes said non-timber harvesting activities, such as wildflower picking and beekeeping, would continue to be permitted under strict conditions in these areas until the reserves were established. Access to apiary sites also would be considered when a management plan was prepared for the area.
Although some roads and tracks in the area would be closed and rehabilitated to enhance wilderness values, other strategic fire management roads would be maintained to ensure that essential activities such as fire suppression and prescribed fire operations can be undertaken safely and effectively.
Media contact: Steve Manchee 9213 6400