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Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site South Africa Wilderness Area Management Plan 2006-2011

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Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site South Africa Wilderness Area Management Plan 2006-2011 The UDP WHS Wilderness Area Management Plan i uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site South Africa Wilderness Area Management Plan 2006-2011 Compiled by Sonja Krüger Regional Ecologist West uKhahlamba Assisted by Brent Corcoran John Crowson Oscar Mtimkhulu Rob Faure Charl Brümmer Chris Wex Henry Hibbett Drummond Densham Citation Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. 2005. Wilderness Area Management Plan: uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Pietermaritzburg, 41 pp. plus figures and appendices. The UDP WHS Wilderness Area Management Plan ii uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site Wilderness Area Management Plan Authorisation Compiled and recommended by the Wilderness Management Steering Committee, a multi-disciplinary team consisting of: Emzemvelo KwaZulu Natal Wildlife, uKhahlamba Region Sonja Krüger Regional Ecologist West uKhahlamba John Crowson Conservation Manager, South Oscar Mthimkhulu Conservation Manager, Central Rob Faure Conservation Manager, North Charl Brümmer Office in Charge- Kamberg Chris Wex Officer in Charge- Cobham Henry Hibbett Officer in Charge- Garden Castle Emzemvelo KwaZulu Natal Wildlife, Head Office Brent Corcoran Protected Area Planner Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier Project Duncan Heard Protected Area Management Planning Facilitator Non-Governmental Organisations Drummond Densham Wilderness Action Group Recommended*: NAME and TITLE SIGNATURE AND DATE Mr. Bheki Khoza Chairperson: EKZNW, uKhahlamba Regional Operations Committee Mr. K. Mkhize Chief Executive Officer: EKZNW Dr. M.P. Sokhela Chairperson: KZN Nature Conservation Board and the Authority for the Park Dr J. Mjwara Head of Department: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs Inkosi S. H. Gumede Chairperson: Portfolio Environment & Conservation Committee Prof. L.B.G. Ndabandaba KwaZulu-Natal MEC: Agriculture & Environmental Affairs APPROVED: Mr. M. van Schalkwyk National Minister: Environmental Affairs and Tourism * Since the Wilderness Area Management Plan forms part of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site Integrated Management Plan (IMP), any recommendation and approval of the IMP will include the Wilderness Area Management Plan. The UDP WHS Wilderness Area Management Plan iii CONTENTS Page Title Page i Authorisation Page ii Contents Page iii INDEX OF FIGURES v INDEX OF APPENDICES vi ABBREVIATIONS USED vii 1. INTRODUCTION TO WILDERNESS 1 1.1 Definition of Wilderness 2 1.2 The Scarcity of Wilderness 2 1.3 Definition of “Leave No Trace” 3 1.4 The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site Wilderness Resource 3 2. VALUES AND BENEFITS OF WILDERNESS 4 2.1 Experiential 4 2.2 Scientific 4 2.3 Symbolic and Spiritual 5 2.4 Economic 5 3. LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK 6 3.1 Protection Status 6 3.1.1 International Protection 6 3.1.2 National Protection 6 3.1.3 Provincial Protection 7 3.1.4 Local Protection 7 3.2 Expansion and Restoration of Wilderness 7 3.3 Integrated Environmental Management Procedure 8 4. WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT 8 4.1 Introduction to Wilderness Management 8 4.2 Aims and Objectives of the Wilderness Area Management Plan 9 4.3 Vision for the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site 9 4.4 Wilderness Management Principles 10 4.5 Wilderness Management Steering Committee 11 5. ZONATION OF THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE 12 5.1 The Recreational Opportunity Spectrum 13 6. CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT WITHIN WILDERNESS 13 6.1 Management of Fauna 13 6.1.1 Indigenous Fauna 13 6.1.2 Alien Fauna 14 6.1.3 Problem Animals 14 6.1.4 Injured Animals 14 6.1.5 Monitoring 14 6.2 Management of Flora 15 6.2.1 Burning 15 6.2.2 Alien Plant Control 16 6.3 Extractive Resource Utilisation 16 6.3.1 Flora 16 6.3.2 Fauna 17 6.4 Erosion, Reclamation and Rehabilitation 17 6.5 Security and Law Enforcement 17 6.6 Waste Disposal 18 6.6.1 Waste from Recreation Activities 18 6.6.2 Waste from Management Activities 19 The UDP WHS Wilderness Area Management Plan iv 6.7 Structures within Wilderness 19 6.7.1 Signage 19 6.7.2 Infrastructure 19 6.7.3 Trails 20 6.7.4 Cultural, Historical, Archaeological and Living Heritage Sites 20 6.7.5 Caves / Rock Shelters 21 6.7.6 Research and Monitoring Sites 21 6.8. Access 21 6.8.1 Roads 21 6.8.2 People with Disabilities 22 6.8.3 Aviation 22 6.8.4 Trails 23 6.8.5 Search and Rescue (Including Casevac Procedures) 24 7. VISITOR MANAGEMENT WITHIN WILDERNESS 25 7.1 Present Wilderness Use 25 7.2 Future Wilderness Use 25 7.3 Wilderness Experience Spectrum 25 7.3.1 Current Wilderness Experience Spectrum 25 7.3.1.1 Guided or self guided trails 25 7.3.1.2 Nationally recognised trails 26 7.4 Role of the Private Sector / Neighbouring Communities 26 7.5 Visitor Activities 27 7.5.1 Horse Trails 27 7.5.2 Hiking 27 7.5.3 Camping 28 7.5.4 Mountaineering 29 7.5.5 Mountain Biking 29 7.5.6 Fishing 30 7.5.7 Sporting Events 30 7.5.8 Filming Events 30 7.6 Limits of Sophistication for Visitor Activities 30 8. LIMITS OF ACCEPTABLE CHANGE 31 8.1 Introduction to the Limits of Acceptable Change Concept 31 8.2 Recreational Impact Focus of the Limits of Acceptable Change Process 31 8.3 The Limits of Acceptable Change Process 32 8.4 The Procedure 32 8.5 Establishing Use Limits 33 8.6 The Way Forward 34 9. RESEARCH AND MONITORING 35 9.1 Current Research and Monitoring 35 9.2 Future Research and Monitoring 35 10. WILDERNESS AWARENESS PROGRAMME 36 10.1 Target Audience 36 10.1.1 Staff 36 10.1.2 Neighbours 36 10.1.3 Public (at large) 37 10.1.4 Public Users 37 10.2 Information (Teaching Aids) 37 10.3 Marketing 39 11. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 39 TABLES 1 & 2; FIGURES 1 – 4; APPENDICES 1 - 12 40-83 The UDP WHS Wilderness Area Management Plan v INDEX OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: THE PROCLAIMED WILDERNESS AREAS OF THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE. FIGURE 2: CANDIDATE WIILDERNESS AREAS WITHIN THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE. FIGURE 3: RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITY SPECTRUM ZONATION OF THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE. FIGURE 4: STRUCTURES WITHIN THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE PROCLAIMED WILDERNESS AREAS. FIGURE 4 a Royal Natal and Rugged Glen (no proclaimed Wilderness in these sections) FIGURE 4 b Poccolan (no proclaimed Wilderness in this section) FIGURE 4 c Cathedral Peak FIGURE 4 d Monks Cowl FIGURE 4 e Injisuthi FIGURE 4 f Hillside (no proclaimed Wilderness in this section) FIGURE 4 g Witteberg (no proclaimed Wilderness in this section) FIGURE 4 h Highmoor FIGURE 4 i Kamberg (no proclaimed Wilderness in this section) FIGURE 4 j Mkhomazi FIGURE 4 k Lotheni FIGURE 4 l Vergelegen FIGURE 4 m Cobham FIGURE 4 n Garden Castle The UDP WHS Wilderness Area Management Plan vi INDEX OF APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: THE PRINCIPLES OF LEAVE NO TRACE FOR THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE. APPENDIX 2: IUCN CLASSIFICATION OF WILDERNESS. APPENDIX 3: INSTRUMENTS PROVIDING FOR THE LEGAL PROTECTION OF THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE WILDERNESS AREAS. A: THE NATIONAL FORESTS ACT NO. 84 OF 1998. B: NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: PROTECTED AREAS ACT NO. 57 OF 2003. C: KWAZULU-NATAL NATURE CONSERVATION ORDINANCE NO. 15 OF 1974. D: THE KWAZULU-NATAL NATURE CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT ACT NO. 9 OF 1997 AS AMENDED. E: KWAZULU-NATAL NATURE CONSERVATION SERVICE POLICY ON THE MANAGEMENT OF WILDERNESS AREAS. APPENDIX 4: THE 13 WILDERNESS MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES. APPENDIX 5: THE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITY SPECTRUM AS A ZONATION SYSTEM FOR THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE. APPENDIX 6: THE FORMAT FOR SIGNAGE IN THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE. APPENDIX 7: AN INVENTORY OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PRESENT WITHIN THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE WILDERNESS AREAS (SEE ALSO FIGURE 3). APPENDIX 8: A: FLIGHT PATHS OF COMMERCIAL FLIGHT OPERATORS AT CATHEDRAL PEAK. B: FLIGHT PATHS OF COMMERCIAL FLIGHT OPERATORS AT MONKS COWL. APPENDIX 9: EMERGENCY RESCUE PROTOCOL FOR THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE. APPENDIX 10: ACTIVITIES MATRIX FOR THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE. APPENDIX 11: MOUNTAIN CLUB OF SOUTH AFRICA KWAZULU NATAL SECTION: USE OF FIXED PROTECTION AND BOLTING IN THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE. APPENDIX 12: THE LIMITS OF ACCEPTABLE CHANGE. The UDP WHS Wilderness Area Management Plan vii ABBREVIATIONS USED AMAFA: Amafa aKwaZulu Natali EKZNW: Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife IEM: Integrated Environmental Management IMP: Integrated Management Plan LAC: Limits of Acceptable Change LNT: Leave no Trace LOS: Limits of Sophistication MDTP: Maloti Drakensberg Transfrontier Project MCSA: Mountain Club of South Africa OiC: Officer in Charge ROS: Recreational Opportunity Spectrum SAAF: South African Air Force SAPS: South African Police Service The Park: uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site UDP WHS: uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site WAG: Wilderness Action Group WLS: Wilderness Leadership School WOS: Wilderness Opportunity Spectrum The UDP WHS Wilderness Area Management Plan viii THE UKHAHLAMBA DRAKENSBERG PARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE WILDERNESS AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN 1. INTRODUCTION TO WILDERNESS The Wilderness concept originated in the twentieth century in North America and was introduced into South Africa and adopted in the 1950s. The American concept was one of land and water where natural ecological processes operate as free of human influence as possible and with primitive recreation opportunities and solitude. This concept has spread internationally and the globalisation of the concept is evolving in both developed and developing countries. In developing countries, however, people are more concerned with meeting basic needs such as food, medical care and education and they have little understanding of Wilderness preservation. What a white man may perceive as “wild land” or Wilderness, may be another man’s home who considers it “tame” land.
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