Management strategies
and policies for achieving
and maintaining healthy
and sustainable outdoor
environments that may be
adopted by public and
private land managers.
Private land management..
Trust for Nature
• Trust for Nature is a not-for-profit organization that works to
protect native plants and wildlife in cooperation with private
landowners.
• As two thirds of Victoria is privately owned, much of the flora
and fauna may not be getting the necessary protection despite
the need for their services such as filtrating water.
• The Trust was established under the Victorian Conservation
Trust Act 1972 to enable people to contribute to nature
conservation by donating land or money.
• Trust for Nature is now one of Victoria’s primary land
conservation organizations, with several tools to help people
protect biodiversity on private land.
• In 1978, Trust for Nature developed conservation covenants as a
way to protect native plants and wildlife on private land.
Private land management:
Trust for Nature
Trust for Nature's vision for the future is:
"There will be a shared expectation and responsibility
among communities, landowners and governments that
significant natural areas on privately owned land should be
conserved, just as national and state parks are protected."
Private land management:
Trust for Nature
How They Work
• Conservation covenants - providing permanent protection
• Trust for Nature developed its Conservation Covenant
Program so landowners could permanently protect native
plants and wildlife on their properties.
• Conservation covenants remain one of the most effective
ways to protect native plants and wildlife on private land.
The covenant remains attached to the title of a property,
even if it is sold.
• Conservation covenants are backed by State legislation
through the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972. (They
currently have more than 1,115 conservation covenants)
• The agreement is voluntary and negotiated between Trust
for Nature and each individual landholder.
• Each conservation covenant is then considered by Trust for
Nature's Board of Trustees before being sent to the Victorian
Environment Minister for approval.
Private land management:
Trust for Nature
They have now protected more than 47,000 hectares through over
1,115 perpetual conservation covenants. The Trust has also purchased
and preserved more than 55 properties across Victoria through its
Revolving Fund, as well as currently owning and managing 46
properties that cover over 36,000 hectares of Victoria.
Private land management:
Trust for Nature
Stewardship - the support program
• Once a property has had a covenant placed on it, Trust for
Nature will offer a Stewardship program.
• Through the Stewardship Program, Trust for Nature offer
conservation management advice and property
maintenance tips to each landowner, helping covenanters
maintain and improve the health of native plants and
wildlife on their property.
• Trust for Nature will also offer landowners technical
advice, information about land-management incentives
available to landowners, and practical assistance with
land management and habitat/species monitoring.
Private land management:
Trust for Nature
Revolving Fund - a cycle of success
• The objective of Trust for Nature's Revolving Fund is to use the
real estate market to achieve conservation outcomes. Funds
provided through donations and by the Australian Government
are used to purchase environmentally significant land, which
they then on-sell with a conservation covenant attached.
• The Revolving Fund is a can target the protection of native
vegetation in areas where other methods are less effective, and
introduce new participants to conservation through land
protection.
• All money generated through the sale of the properties is
wholly returned to the Fund to replenish its reserves and
enable future purchases. In this way the fund revolves in
perpetuity.
• (They have sold 47 properties through the Revolving Fund so
far, protecting 5,735 hectares of Victorian bush land so far).
Private land management:
Trust for Nature
Land Acquisition - buying back the bush
• To protect native plants and wildlife, Trust for Nature
buys and maintains properties with high conservation
value.
• This enables both the regeneration of damaged habitats
and their future protection.
• We also use some of these properties to demonstrate
private land conservation practices.
Public land management
Who is the main
public land
manager in
Victoria??
Public land management
What do Park Rangers do?
- Build and maintain good working relationships with farmers and
landholders, tourism providers and local communities
- Maintain and modify tracks and signs
- Carry out surveys of heavily visited sites and damaged areas
- Provide guided walks and events, give talks and educational
activities for schools and the public
- Respond to requests for information and advice from students,
visitors, the media and tourism industry
- Assist emergency services with local knowledge and expertise
- Provide training for volunteers and new staff
- Respond to out of hours calls to assist the public
Public land management
Land management approaches can include some of the
following:
- Creating and maintaining conservation reserves, such as national
parks and wildlife sanctuaries
- Developing wildlife corridors between pockets of remnant
vegetation
- Translocation or reintroduction of species into areas where they
used to occur
- Ecotourism
- Contemporary indigenous land management
Some general management practices may include:
- regulate behavior and restrict access, duration, equipment
- modify the setting of area
- concentrate use or disperse use of certain areas
- modify management practice and presence: install signage, raise
staff profile, increase protected areas, stop land clearing and grazing
in marginal and sensitive lands, control introduced species, control
impact of genetically modified organisms, manage fire regimes,
manage industrial pollution, monitor climate change.
Public land management
Recreation
- Maintain and develop visitor facilities such as picnic areas, camping areas
and toilets
- Create and maintain trails for hikers, mountain bike riders, four-wheel
driving etc
- Respond to emergency situations such as ‘Search and Rescue’
- Management and development of staff, volunteers, contractors & work
experience students
- Delivery of interpretation and education services including guided tours,
demonstrations and talks
- Planning, implementation and management of projects, programs and
contracts
Things to do/know for the exam:
Be able to describe and evaluate management strategies and practices
that you’ve seen used in environments you’ve visited
• What are they?
• How are they used?
• Are they effective or not?
Strategies for the management of
public land in Victoria
Overview…
• Maintain and modify tracks and signs
• Carry out surveys of heavily visited sites and damaged
areas
• Provide guided walks and events, give talks and
educational activities for schools and the public
• Respond to requests for information and advice from
students, visitors, the media and tourism industry
• Assist emergency services with local knowledge and
expertise
Strategies for the management of
public land in Victoria
• Create and maintain conservation reserves
• Develop wildlife corridors between pockets of remnant
vegetation
• Reintroduction of species into areas where they used to
occur
• Regulate behaviour and restrict access, duration,
equipment etc.
• Manage fire regimes
• Control introduced species