The Boboyan Pines

The Boboyan Pines are located within the southern portion of Namadgi National Park and cover 380 hectares with Pinus radiata trees established in 1966 in an area previously used as grazing land for many years. Initial survival and growth of the pine trees was poor and significant areas were replanted in 1969. The pines were established with funds from the ACT Forestry Trust and initially managed by ACT Forests Branch of the Department of the Interior. The area was included in the Gudgenby Nature Reserve in 1979 and the Gudgenby Nature Reserve was incorporated into Namadgi National Park in 1984.

The plantation is of indifferent quality and the pines remain unthinned and unpruned.

The large Gudgenby fire in January 1983 burnt through the plantation adversely affecting up to 50 percent of it, particularly the south west sections of both the Hospital Creek and Bogong Creek pines. Consequently, there is now a great deal of the plantation area that consists largely of immature pine regeneration that contains very limited volumes of merchantable timber.


THE PROJECT

The 1986 Plan of Management for Namadgi calls for the removal of the pines and the rehabilitation of the area with appropriate native species. The task is an enormous one, encountering a wide range of uncertainties and complexities. No single rehabilitation method will be appropriate for the entire Boboyan Pines and a range of rehabilitation techniques have been identified and are being implemented.

ACT Forests are harvesting the pine trees that contain merchantable timber and falling the remaining trees at the same time.

Other areas will be subject to non-commercial clearfall operations The harvesting of the merchantable timber is subject to the economic constraints imposed by the commercial nature of ACT Forests operations. Consequently the felling operations are likely to occur over a few years. However the rehabilitation efforts and the monitoring and removal of pine regeneration are expected to continue for many years into the future.

The primary aims of the Boboyan Pines project are to remove the pines and pine wildings from the site and to rehabilitate the area with appropriate native species as per the Namadgi National Park Plan of Management. Within these broad aims are a number of more detailed objectives:

Clearly the first priority is to remove the pine trees from the site to prevent their spread into the surrounding area.

The site and therefore any regeneration work is at the ecological limits of native tree growth. At the nearby Gudgenby homestead an average of 140 frost days per annum are recorded. The site borders two major drainage lines that are wet and act as frost hollows. Given these conditions it may be best that regeneration efforts utilise ecological processes and rely largely on regeneration out from existing vegetation, supplemented by plantings and direct seeding.

Furthermore regeneration efforts should focus on higher areas above the wetter cold air drainage lines. Natural regeneration processes can follow from these vegetation islands as conditions become suitable.


OTHER WORK

Similar projects have been undertaken at Kosciusko and Jervis Bay National Parks providing useful examples of rehabilitation techniques and illustrating potential problems that may be incurred.

A range of regeneration techniques have been applied at both these sites. The best results as far as limiting pine regeneration have come from those sites where there has been excellent regeneration of native species, either from sown seed or from seed stored within the soil. The good canopy cover shades out any pine regeneration.

Burning the slash has been the most useful technique at both Jervis Bay and Jounama. However, in order for fire to be a useful tool it is clear from these sites that sufficient fuel is required to ensure that the fire is hot enough to destroy pine seeds and to create an ash bed effect. The prescription fires this year were very effective, but more open areas to be dealt with over the next few years may involve other works.

Currently Namadgi has another 70 hectares of pine slash on the ground at Boboyan for burning next Autumn.


CULTURAL RESOURCES

A Cultural Resource Survey has been conducted at Boboyan Pines. Thirty four Aboriginal sites and one potential archaeological deposit were found. Three European archaeological sites were located. Franks Hut is a focal destination for many visitors walking in this area therefore rehabilitation work in the immediate surrounds has commenced. This will improve the aesthetics of the site, protect its cultural values and also provide an interpretation opportunity for the pines project.

WEED SPRAYING

The major weed species in the plantation is blackberry and herbicide spraying efforts throughout the plantation are continuing.

SEED COLLECTION

Seed collection by contractors commenced at Boboyan in January 1996. There is still a great deal of seed to collect. Some level of supervision and overseeing is necessary to ensure the genetic integrity and diversity of the site can be maintained, i.e.: that the location of seed collection is limited to areas stipulated in the brief, that seed is collected from a large number of trees and that no single tree has greater than 30% of its seed collected.

COMMUNITY CONSULTATION

The National Parks Association of the ACT, the Conservation Council of the South-East Region & Canberra and the Kosciusko Huts Association have been consulted on roading, harvesting and rehabilitation work to be conducted during the project. Contact with these organisations will be maintained throughout the project.

WATER QUALITY MONITORING

Data collection began on the 8th November 1996. Three data collection sites are monitored along Hospital Creek and three sites along Bogong Creek.

WORKING GROUP

The project has attracted support from a wide range of individuals and organisations. A working group has been formed to provide advice and guidance on the project and includes the following members:

In addition to this working group a number of other organisations are involved in the project:


GUDGENBY REHABILITATION VOLUNTEERS

The long term nature of this project combined with significant community interest has encouraged us to form the Gudgenby Bush Regeneration Volunteer group.

The volunteer work of this group will include:

Planning is underway to burn at least 80 hectares of pine slash at Boboyan during late Autumn 1999. If you get the chance to be there its well worth the effort. Again, thanks to all involved.

Steve Welch