Friends of Grasslands

supporting native grassy ecosystems

PO Box 440
Jamison Centre
Macquarie ACT 2614

email: advocacy@fog.org.au
web: www.fog.org.au

Office of the Threatened Species Commissioner
GPO Box 787
Canberra, ACT, 2601
email: threatenedspeciesstrategy@awe.gov.au

 

Dear Sir/Madam

Developing a new Threatened Species Strategy: discussion paper

Friends of Grasslands (FOG) is a community group dedicated to the conservation of natural temperate grassy ecosystems in south-eastern Australia. FOG advocates, educates and advises on matters to do with the conservation of grassy ecosystems, and carries out surveys and other on-ground work. FOG is based in Canberra and its members include professional scientists, landowners, land managers and interested members of the public.

Of the priority species targeted under the Threatened Species Strategy 2015 – 2020, those of interest to FOG are the Button Wrinklewort and the Small Purple Pea, since these occur in natural temperate grassy ecosystems. By improving the conservation status of these two species, improvement in the conservation status of the critically endangered grassy ecosystems in which they occur also results. For this reason, FOG supports the proposal that the new Strategy should include a second objective to ‘improve habitat condition of priority places by 2031’.

[Question is: What work are you or your organisation undertaking that aligns with the Threatened Species Strategy?] On the question about work our organisation is undertaking that aligns with the Threatened Species Strategy, FOG for many years has been involved in voluntary work at Stirling Park in Yarralumla, ACT, which has a big population of Button Wrinklewort in and near box-gum-grassy woodland areas. All of our efforts have been aimed to improve habitat condition in line with the management plan agreed with and implemented by the National Capital Authority. Of particular note a few years ago was monitoring of the effect of ecological burning on the Wrinklewort population - fire had neither negative nor positive effect. Other FOG activities at Stirling Park are weeding (including woody-weed removal and control of invasives like Chilean Needle Grass, African Lovegrass, Madiera Vine and Blue Periwinkle), planting of local-native trees and groundlayer species to add diversity, regular condition and species monitoring, and removal of rubbish, including supporting the NCA asbestos-removal effort.

Yours sincerely

 

Geoff Robertson
President

13 November 2020