supporting the recovery of the leadbeater… · supporting the recovery of the possum: key...

SUPPORTING THE RECOVERY OF THE

LEADBEATER'S POSSUM

REPORT ON PROGRESS

PAGE

Ministerial Foreword 01

Supporting the recovery of the Possum: Key achievements for the first six months 02

Introduction 04

What has been done so far 05

Recommendation 1 / Protect Leadbeater’s Possum colonies 05

Recommendation 2 / Delay harvesting in areas of anticipated

high probability of occupancy 07

Recommendation 3 / Transition to retention harvesting 08

Recommendation 4 / Revised regeneration practices 09

Recommendation 5 / Buffer old growth 09

PAGE

Recommendation 6 / Amend definition of Leadbeater’s

Possum habitat Zone 1A 10

Recommendation 7 / Target future old growth ash

forests for protection 10

Recommendation 8 / Fire management of known

colonies and high quality habitat 11

Recommendation 9 / Install nest boxes 12

Recommendation 10 / Accelerate hollow development 13

Recommendation 11 / Translocation 13

Recommendation 12 / Community engagement and education 14

Recommendation 13 / Monitoring and review 16

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The Victorian Government is committed to supporting the recovery of Victoria’s faunal emblem – the endangered Leadbeater’s Possum – while maintaining a sustainable timber industry.

Victoria is the only state home to Leadbeater’s Possum, a species that lives primarily in our ash forests and sub-alpine woodlands, with a small lowland population.

During the 2009 bushfires alone, an estimated 45 per cent of the Leadbeater’s Possum reserve and 26 per cent of the harvestable ash forest in the Central Highlands were burned.

The Victorian Government recognised the significant impact that fire has had on these important forests, and saw the need to review how the forest was being used and managed. This was vital if we were to help secure the future of Leadbeater’s Possum and Victoria’s native timber industry.

To help us achieve this, we established the Leadbeater’s Possum Advisory Group, co-convened by Zoos Victoria and the Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI), with representatives from Parks Victoria, the Leadbeater’s Possum Recovery Team and VicForests.

Since establishing the Advisory Group, we have committed to implementing all 13 of their recommendations, which comprise 48 different actions.

We have invested $11 million into initiatives that will aid Leadbeater’s Possum conservation, whilst preserving the environmental and socio-economic values of our forests.

It is not an easy or short-term undertaking, but by working collaboratively with experts and using the best information available, we are determined to ensure healthy balance within our forest estate.

This is the first six-month report that outlines the Victorian Government’s progress in delivering on agreed recommendations and actions, in pursuit of improved conservation and a sustainable forestry industry.

These reports are produced so we can provide transparency and accountability around our commitment, but perhaps most importantly, to keep the community informed with what we are doing and how we are making a real difference to our forests.

We look forward to achieving all of the recommendations made and supporting the recovery of the Leadbeater’s Possum.

MINISTERIAL FOREWORD

The Hon. Peter Walsh Minister for Agriculture and Food Security

The Hon. Ryan Smith Minister for Environment and Climate Change

SUPPORTING THE RECOVERY OF THE LEADBEATER'S POSSUM REPORT ON PROGRESS / PAGE 1

SUPPORTING THE RECOVERY OF THE POSSUM:KEY ACHIEVEMENTS FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS

1 Protect Leadbeater’s Possum colonies

• Exclusion of timber harvesting within 200 metres of Leadbeater’s Possum colonies incorporated into regulation

• 33 surveys at 13 sites and cameras installed at 10 sites to trial improved detection techniques

• New survey standards drafted to improve new record submission and verification

• New equipment and training planned to support community involvement in submission of new records

• Targeted landscape scale surveys to commence in November 2014

• All known Leadbeater’s Possum colonies and their timber harvesting exclusion zones incorporated into VicForests’ data systems to inform operational planning.

2 Delay harvesting in high probability occupancy areas

• Timber harvesting delayed in over 600 hectares of forest within the range of Leadbeater’s Possum.

3 Transition to retention harvesting

• Regrowth Retention Harvesting commenced in July 2014, with the new Regrowth Retention Harvesting Instruction applied to the Rusty coupe near Toolangi

• Field staff trained and tested for competency in the application of the Regrowth Retention Harvesting Instruction.

4 Revised regeneration practices

• Trialling and monitoring new practices for forest regeneration where timber has been harvested.

5 Buffer old growth • Exclusion of timber harvesting from within 100 metres of modelled old growth ash forest in the Leadbeater’s Possum range incorporated into regulation.

6 Amend definition Zone 1A habitat

• Amendment to the definition of Zone 1A Leadbeater’s Possum habitat incorporated into regulation to protect Leadbeater’s Possum colonies and current and future habitat.

7 Protect future old growth

• Target to protect 30 per cent of ash forest in each Leadbeater’s Management Unit for future habitat incorporated into regulation.

8 Fire management • The East Central Strategic Bushfire Management Plan identifies known Leadbeater’s Possum colonies, high quality habitat and timber assets for protection. A risk based approach to fire management is part of this plan, providing further safeguards

• The Fire Operational Plans in DEPI fire districts are now informed by the East Central Strategic Bushfire Management Plan

• New fire recovery protocols in development, with opportunity for community input.

9 Install nest boxes • 37 nest boxes installed at Dowey Spur near Powelltown and 61 at Mt Baw Baw.

10 Accelerate hollow development

• Creation of tree hollows will be accelerated mechanically, as demonstrated by arborists at a field day

• An Australian Research Council Linkage Grant awarded for research on silvicultural approaches to accelerate hollow development.

11 Translocation • Feasibility assessment to commence in 2015-16.

12 Community engagement

• Working with the community and targeted stakeholders in the delivery of agreed actions

• A web portal, in development, will allow the community to easily access Leadbeater’s Possum information with an interactive map for viewing spatial information.

13 Monitoring and review

• Released the first public progress report.


INTRODUCTION

The Victorian Government is committed to supporting the recovery of Victoria’s faunal emblem – the endangered Leadbeater’s Possum – and to maintaining a sustainable timber industry. The focus is on putting measures in place that effectively manage the use and protection of Victoria’s forests for the environment and the Victorian community.

In June 2013 the Minister for Environment and Climate Change and the Minister for Agriculture and Food Security jointly established the Leadbeater’s Possum Advisory Group (the Advisory Group) to provide recommendations that support the recovery of the Leadbeater’s Possum while maintaining a sustainable timber industry. The Advisory Group was co-convened by Zoos Victoria and the Victorian Association of Forest Industries, with representation from Parks Victoria, VicForests, and the chair of the Leadbeater’s Possum Recovery Team. The Advisory Group’s recommendations were developed with input from a broad range of experts and stakeholders, using the most up-to-date information, science and modelling, and in consultation with industry and the community.

In April 2014, the Victorian Government fully accepted the Advisory Group recommendations, allocated $11 million over five years to support the package of actions developed by the Advisory Group, and committed to publicly report on implementation progress every six months. This report captures the first six months of progress on support for the possum.

The government’s response to the Advisory Group recommendations is available at: www.depi.vic.gov.au/environment-and-wildlife/leadbeaters-possum.

With the establishment of a cross agency implementation committee to coordinate delivery, the collaborative approach established through the Advisory Group process will continue. The implementation committee includes members from the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI), VicForests, Parks Victoria and Zoos Victoria. Each agency encourages and welcomes engagement with experts and community members throughout the five year implementation.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR

Recommendation 1 / Protect Leadbeater’s Possum colonies

Harvest exclusion zones

The government made a commitment to protect Leadbeater’s Possum colonies by establishing a Special Protection Zone (SPZ) to exclude timber harvesting operations from within a 200 metre radius centred on the detection site for each colony. This SPZ has been introduced into regulation through a revision of the Leadbeater’s Possum Action Statement and came into effect in July 2014. This prescription has also been reflected in the Management Standards and Procedures for timber production harvesting operations in Victoria’s State forests 2014 under the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014.

The SPZ applies to all existing records for Leadbeater’s Possums from the last 15 years (except in areas that were severely burnt in the 2009 fires). The SPZ will be applied to new colonies identified through targeted surveys and records from the community once they are verified.

Following release of the government’s response, VicForests took immediate action to incorporate all known Leadbeater’s Possum colonies in the VicForests Reserve Layer to identify areas within the VicForests Allocated Resource to be protected from harvesting. This enables the application of the SPZ in operational planning. The Reserve Layer will also be updated progressively as new information becomes available.

Improving survey techniques

We’re taking steps to improve the accuracy, effectiveness and reliability of methods for detecting Leadbeater’s Possum colonies, by refining new survey techniques. The results of these trials will contribute to design of targeted surveys and the finalisation of the survey standard for verifying new records.

Past surveys using call playback and thermal cameras have mainly been conducted from the open spaces of forestry roads and tracks, whereas the planned targeted surveys (see below) will be undertaken in dense forest, where observer visibility is often limited. In order to improve the likelihood of detection in the targeted surveys, variations of the survey technique are being trialled. This has involved assessing different sequences of possum-call playback and durations of search using thermal imaging cameras.

This has been carried out at sites where the species had been recorded in the last two years across a range of forest age classes. Thirty three surveys at 13 sites were undertaken between July and September 2014.

Another survey method is also being trialled, using arborists to install heat and motion sensing cameras opposite bait stations within the tree canopy or tall understorey. These are the areas where the possum is likely to be moving while foraging. Cameras were installed in September 2014 at 10 sites, positioned approximately 10-20 meters above ground. The cameras will be left in place for four weeks.

The effectiveness of this approach will be compared to the possum-call playback and thermal imaging method.

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New record submission and verification

A new survey standard is being developed that specifies the type of information required to verify Leadbeater's Possum records submitted by the community. This will see the processes for managing information on the Leadbeater’s Possum and creating timber harvesting exclusion areas aligned with the processes that already exists for a range of threatened species. The survey standard specifies the type of supporting information required, with different information requirements triggering different verification approaches, via either desk top assessment or through field survey. Verification must occur before the 200 metre exclusion zone can be applied. This survey standard incorporates and will replace the 2013 Survey Standards: Leadbeater’s Possum Habitat Zones (Central Highlands Forest Management Plan).

The information required for a desktop verification process will be more stringent than for reports triggering field verification surveys, requiring photographic or video evidence and locational details using global positioning system (GPS). Species location information submitted to DEPI through this process will be incorporated into the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas once verified.

Targeted surveys

Targeted landscape-scale surveys to identify and map Leadbeater’s Possum colonies will begin in November 2014. The survey design will be informed by the DEPI model of forest areas likely to be occupied by Leadbeater’s Possum, areas with records of known colonies and known hot spots as well as the outcomes of the survey method trials (outlined above).

The targeted surveys will:

• improve existing habitat and distribution models

• Improve future modelling capability

• identify further colonies for protection, and

• provide a greater understanding of where the species occurs throughout its range.

This knowledge will enable a more strategic approach to forest management to protect the Leadbeater’s Possum.

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Recommendation 2 / Delay harvesting in areas of anticipated high probability of occupancy

Following release of the Victorian Government response to the Advisory Group’s recommendations, VicForests took immediate action to exclude harvesting in areas where modelling undertaken by DEPI had identified a high probability (greater than 65 per cent) of occupancy by Leadbeater’s Possum. Harvesting in one operational logging coupe was immediately stopped and three more coupes were removed from 2014-15 harvest plans. Overall, harvesting will be delayed in 63 coupes (almost 600 hectares).

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Recommendation 3 / Transition to retention harvesting

VicForests’ Regrowth Retention Harvesting Instruction was released in April 2014, which outlines its approach to retention harvesting in Victorian ash forest. The Instruction was reviewed by both local and international forestry and academic communities before being finalised, and has been benchmarked against world’s best practice.

The Instruction has been rolled out to VicForests’ field staff, and training in its application was provided to Central Highlands foresters. VicForests’ rolling operations plan for the 2014-15 period now incorporates the first Regrowth Retention Harvesting operational areas.

In line with the Victorian Government response, VicForests has adopted the target for Regrowth Retention Harvesting in at least 50 per cent of the area of ash forest harvested within the Leadbeater’s Possum range. The goals of this harvesting system are to:

• protect and enhance old-growth forest structures such as future habitat suitable for a range of forest dwelling species, especially those mature forest dependant species

• support the dispersal and movement of forest faunal communities by enhancing connectivity across the landscape

• support the re-colonisation of areas harvested overtime by providing a life-boating function, and

• support habitat heterogeneity across the landscape, and ensure that areas retained have the lowest likelihood of being impacted by disturbance such as wildfire and wind throw.

A monitoring program is being developed that will gauge the effectiveness of this system in achieving its operational and ecological goals.

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Recommendation 4 / Revised regeneration practices

VicForests is monitoring the impacts of revised regeneration practices in ten coupes. Eight of these have been assessed in time for regeneration burning in 2014. This monitoring will assess how modifying regeneration burning practices can improve the survival of retained trees and the protection of other values.

Initial results are highly variable. There was almost complete protection of all retained trees on two coupes using low intensity burning. There was poor protection on two coupes, one of which had been burnt in a wildfire while the other could not be burnt in the originally planned manner due to restricted burn opportunities. Of the remaining four coupes assessed, the vast majority of retained trees had been protected while also achieving acceptable seedbed outcomes for regeneration.

These monitoring outcomes are currently being examined by VicForests to see how to best contribute to the ecological objectives of Regrowth Retention Harvesting. Monitoring will continue throughout 2014-15.

Recommendation 5 / Buffer old growth

The Victorian Government committed to excluding timber harvesting within 100 metres of modelled old growth ash forest in the Leadbeater’s Possum range. This exclusion has been included in the revised Leadbeater’s Possum Action Statement and within the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014. This recommendation has been fully delivered.

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Recommendation 6 / Amend definition of Leadbeater’s Possum habitat Zone 1A

The definition of the Leadbeater’s Possum habitat Zone 1A has been amended and incorporated in the revised Leadbeater’s Possum Action Statement and the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014. The amendment defines Zone 1A habitat as ‘more than 10 live mature or senescent hollow-bearing ash trees per three hectares in patches greater than three hectares’. The revised definition reduces the requirement from 12 to 10 trees. In Zone 1A habitat, hollow-bearing trees are defined as ‘live mature or senescent trees of Mountain Ash, Alpine Ash or Shining Gum containing hollows’. This recommendation has been fully delivered.

Recommendation 7 / Target future old growth ash forests for protection

The Victorian Government committed to a target of protecting 30 per cent of ash forest from timber harvesting operations within each Leadbeater’s Management Unit. This target has been introduced into regulation through the revised Leadbeater's Possum Action Statement and within the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014. DEPI and VicForests are working together to select suitable areas of ash forest for protection, with greatest consideration being given to areas that:

• are least likely to burn during bushfires

• encompass the oldest age class of ash that will develop into old growth soonest, and

• can be consolidated into larger patches that can potentially develop into old growth.

These areas will be progressively identified through on-the-ground verification and then protected via the most appropriate means. Protection mechanisms could include designating areas as dedicated reserves, appointing informal reserves (special protection zones) or as areas protected from timber harvesting in the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014.

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Recommendation 8 / Fire management of known colonies and high quality habitat

The Department of Environment and Primary Industries has released the first series of Strategic Bushfire Management Plans, as part of its new risk-based approach to bushfire management on public land. This approach was recommended by the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission (VBRC) and the VBRC Implementation Monitor.

The plans consider bushfire risk across the entire landscape, not just public land, and aim to identify where bushfires would cause most impact and where risk reduction work would be most effective.

The East Central landscape is the only landscape in Victoria known to be home to Leadbeater’s Possum. The recently released East Central Bushfire Management Plan identifies known Leadbeater’s Possum colonies within the landscape, the location of high quality habitat and the location of timber asset, and factors this information into bushfire risk planning and risk reduction activities.

As new records of Leadbeater’s Possum colonies are verified and future old growth areas identified for protection, that information will be incorporated into the strategic planning process and inform fire operations planning.

New protocols are being developed to define the measures to be undertaken without delay to support recovery of the Leadbeater’s Possum following fire. The community and other stakeholders will be invited to provide input into and provide comment on the proposed protocols.

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Recommendation 9 / Install nest boxes

Project Possum, a partnership between Parks Victoria, Zoos Victoria and the Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum, aims to provide long-lasting nest boxes (constructed from recycled plastic) at strategic locations throughout Leadbeater’s Possum’s range. The objectives of installing the nest boxes vary depending on the vegetation:

• in montane ash forest – to provide alternative den sites and reduce the rate of territory abandonment that occurs when old trees with nesting hollows decay and collapse

• in sub-alpine woodland – to survey the Leadbeater’s Possum’s distribution and abundance and validate previous nest box research that suggested that high occupancy rates can only be achieved at select sites with appropriate vegetation structure.

Project Possum’s activity is focused on six localities for the next two years: Dowey Spur, the Mt Baw Baw plateau, Mt Matlock, Snobs Creek, the Toorongo plateau and the Thomson Valley. Nest box installations were completed at Dowey Spur (37 nest boxes) and Mt Baw Baw (61 nest boxes) during Autumn 2014. The first monitoring of these nest boxes is scheduled for Autumn 2015.

Nest box site assessments and camera surveys are underway at Snobs Creek. The results will determine nest box site placement, with installations proposed for Autumn 2015. Nest box installations will also occur at two additional areas on the Baw Baw plateau during Summer 2014-15, with volunteers from the Friends of Leadbeater’s Possum helping transport nest boxes to a remote part of the Baw Baw plateau in early December.

Nest box monitoring will also be conducted at several established sites, including Mt Richie and Lake Mountain, between Spring 2014 and Autumn 2015.

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Recommendation 10 / Accelerate hollow development

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has awarded a Linkage Grant to investigate ways in which silvicultural activity can accelerate the development of key features of Leadbeater’s Possum habitat. This project is a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, DEPI and VicForests. It will explore a range of forest management approaches with the aim of promoting hollow development in younger forests. The findings from this research will help guide future forest management and planning across the landscape to better support the future development of Leadbeater's Possum habitat.

VicForests has also been working closely with DEPI to investigate mechanical approaches to develop hollows for Leadbeater’s Possum nesting. A field day was held in early September 2014 where a skilled arborist demonstrated ways in which potential hollows could be created mechanically.

Recommendation 11 / Translocation

A study is planned for 2015-16 to assess the feasibility and desirability of translocating Leadbeater's Possum in order to establish new colonies in suitable but unoccupied habitat within its known range.

This research will be most relevant to old ash forest that was severely burnt during the 2009 bushfires, as these areas will provide suitable Leadbeater’s Possum habitat in the near future once the vegetation has recovered sufficiently. Translocation of the possum may be necessary, as there may not be any surviving colonies nearby to recolonise the area.

The study will include a literature review, modelling and spatial analysis to examine the feasibility of a range of options and determine priorities. There will be an opportunity for stakeholders to contribute to the development of recommendations through workshops and review of the assessment report.

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Recommendation 12 / Community engagement and education

The government committed to engaging with the community, environment and industry groups, and academic researchers in the development and delivery of the Leadbeater’s Possum implementation program.

Agencies and DEPI divisions are working with the community and targeted stakeholders in the development and delivery of various actions through workshops and active participation in the field.

Key activities that are either in planning or have occurred in support of this recommendation include:

• expert stakeholder input into the design of the Leadbeater’s Possum targeted surveys

• provision of equipment and training for the community to submit new possum records

• workshops on the development of fire recovery protocols

• review of translocation assessment report

• community participation in the installation and monitoring of nest boxes, and

• provision of information to the community through the planned web portal.

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Community access to information

The Leadbeater’s Possum Advisory Group recommended improving community access to information on Leadbeater’s Possum protected colonies and habitat. A web portal is being established on the DEPI website to provide the community with a central point of access for Leadbeater’s Possum information.

The portal will include a user-friendly interactive map to access spatial information. The map provides details of the 21 Leadbeater’s Management Units in the Central Highlands, and enables contextual information including roads, streams, public land, forest management zoning and aerial imagery to be selectively viewed, together with the locations of:

• verified colonies, both existing and new colonies identified through targeted surveys and records submitted by the community and other organisations

• harvest exclusion zones

• modelled areas of occupancy with a greater than 0.65 probability

• modelled old growth, and

• areas identified as Zone 1A habitat.

This mapping function draws data from the DEPI Spatial Data Library. This ensures that any new information, for example new verified colonies, will be immediately available to the public as the spatial database is updated.

Data on the areas identified for protection for future old growth will be made publicly available through this mapping function once these areas are verified through on-ground surveys as providing appropriate future habitat. Additional spatial information, such as the location of coupes and areas of forest retained through Regrowth Retention Harvesting, will also be made available via the web portal. This will enable the community to monitor progress towards the 50 per cent target for retention harvesting and 30 per cent of LMUs protected for future old growth.

The web portal will be used to provide periodic updates in addition to the six monthly reports.

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Recommendation 13 / Monitoring and review

The Victorian Government has agreed to undertake reviews of:

• the effectiveness of the timber harvesting exclusion zones of a 200 metre radius (Recommendation 1) after two years or once 200 new colonies have been verified, whichever comes first, and

• the overall package of actions in four years with a view to assessing progress, capturing learnings and maximising benefits.

Planning for these reviews has commenced by identifying key evaluation questions and the data required to respond to these questions.

Processes have been put in place to provide rigour around reporting and monitoring. In support of this approach, the Victorian Government has committed to six-monthly progress reports. This will keep the community informed on progress in delivering each of the 13 recommendations.

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Photo Credits

PHOTO NUMBER CREDIT

Cover Photo by Marianne Worley

1, 2, 16 Photo by Stephen Colquitt

3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18

Photo by Lindy Lumsden

7 Photo by Michael Ryan

8, 9, 20, 21 © VicForests

11, 15, 19 Photo by Dan Harley

13, 22, 23, 24 © Department of Environment and Primary Industries

Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

ISBN 978-1-74146-365-1 (Print) ISBN 978-1-74146-366-8 (pdf)

Accessibility

If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format, please telephone DEPI Customer Service Centre 136 186, email [email protected] via the National Relay Service on 133 677 or www.relayservice.com.au

This document is also available in on the internet at www.depi.vic.gov.au

Unless indicated otherwise, this work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence.

To view a copy of this licence, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au

It is a condition of this Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence that you must give credit to the original author who is the State of Victoria.


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