Newnes Area

There is currently exploration for coal in a part of the Newnes State Forest which is surrounded on three sides by Blue Mountains National Park. This plateau area forms the upper catchment of the Wollangambe and Dumbano Creeks and their system of canyons.

Disturbance to bushland from mineral exploration tends to include clearing of vehicular trails constructed as a network over the area and drilling sites at various points, both leading to a degradation of the areas natural values. High natural values they are too, as this encroaches into the State's largest undisturbed piece of parkland - the northern Blue Mountains and Wollemi National Parks.

Willow Eradication

The Kowmung Committee and Blue Mountains NPA branch have been holding willow eradication walks along the Kowmung River. With the recent Easter effort we can now say with some confidence that all willows between Ferny Flat and Ritson Elbow have been got, as have most between Church Creek and Bulga Dennis Canyon. The Canyon to Ferny Flat section will be the likely next target with the lower Kowmung to follow (with access permission obtained of course)

With some imagination, there is potential for voluntary bushwalker involvement in a wider range of National Park management issues than the traditional track upkeeping or clean ups.

Several districts have been successfully running voluntary bush regeneration programs in various parks.

Wildlife Atlas

Then there is the NSW wildlife atlas, where some note taking of field observations is passed on to the service for their faunal records.

In late June we would like to make a weekend of campsite rationalisation along the Shoalhaven River from Blockup Gorge to Badgeries Spur. The number of fireplaces with their futile ring of stones is startling and a weekend could be well spent removing a good proportion of them. Education will hopefully lead to people dismantling their campfire places at the conclusion of their stay.

Any club representative or individual interested can contact Conservation Officer John Macris on the number in the front of this issue.