Landcare applied today for funding from the Toon Trust.
This proposal is Stage 1 of a Project aimed at increasing native forest habitat on the Island by 10% through re-establishing the native coastal forest in Ball Bay Reserve, one of the largest areas of public land outside the National Park. Degradation of native habitat through land clearing, invasion by woody weeds (which today form 100% cover over more than 70% of the Reserve) and grazing, has destroyed the original native coastal forest, resulting in the disappearance from this part of the Island of almost all native bird species and threatened the local extinction of endemic plant species such as Euphorbia norfolkiana.
Luckily, though significantly reduced in diversity and extent, a small number of native trees and shrubs remain with potential as natural seed sources to augment rehabilitation planting.
Rehabilitation of native forest habitat through this large-scale (for Norfolk Island) project will directly engage the community, providing skills and impetus to community environmental and landcare groups, participation by local land owners, and demonstrate how native habitat can successfully be re-established on other, privately owned weed infested areas of the Island.
Large areas of Ball Bay Reserve were fenced to exclude cattle in the early 1970’s to enable re-afforestation and in the late 1980’s the majority of the Reserve was fenced to enable a number of Commonwealth-funded (Bushcare and Green Corps) environment projects to be undertaken. Unfortunately, since that time cattle have been allowed to roam through the Reserve with significant damage to remnant native vegetation and to planting areas.
Re-establishing native forest over the majority of the Reserve is the key management strategy of the Ball Bay Reserve Plan of Management. The re-habilitation of native forest habitat is a priority of the Norfolk Island Threatened Species Recovery Plan(EPBC Act).
This Stage 1 Project will enable grazing of the majority of Ball Bay Reserve by stock to be controlled. This is essential to the re-establishment of native forest habitat in Ball Bay Reserve.
If we are successful; The Norfolk Island Forestry department will partner Landcare in this application by the supply of fence posts, labour,timber for cattle yards, post & rail fence and gates, a cattlestop,pump, water tank & trough for stock and signs.
