Garden Route National Park Park Management Plan For the period 2020 - 2029 1 Acknowledgement This plan was prepared by Mr Len du Plessis and Mr André Spies, with significant input and help from Me Maretha Alant, Mr Clement Arendse, Mr Johan Baard, Me Marie Baard, Me Elzette Bester, Mr Nicholas Cole, Me Melanie de Morney, Mr Graham Durrheim, Dr Stef Freitag-Ronaldson, Me Jessica Hayes, Me Nobulumko Gantsho, Mr Derec Giles, Me Jayshree Govender, Mr Paddy Gordon, Mr Thabo Kgomommu, Me Nondumiso Mgwenya, Dr Mohlamatsane Mokhatla, Me Lizette Moolman, Mr Andile Namntu, Me Phumla Nyathikazi, Mr André Riley, Dr Dirk Roux, Dr Ian Russell, Me Thabang Sibiya, Mr Kyle Smith, Dr Sandra Taljaard, Me Megan Taplin and various stakeholders. Suggested citation: SANParks, 2020. Garden Route National Park Management Plan. SANParks. Pretoria. Photo by: Knysna Tourism Garden Route National Park Management Plan 2020 – 2029 2 Section 1: Authorisation This management plan is hereby internally accepted and authorised as required for managing the Garden Route National Park and World Heritage Site in terms of Sections 39, 40 and 41 of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act [(Act No. 57 of 2003) (NEM: PAA)] and chapter 4 of the World Heritage Convention Act (Act No. 49 of 1999). Mr P. Gordon Park Manager: Garden Route National Park Date: 01 June 2019 T PLAN N Mr A.H. Engelbrecht General Manager: Frontier Region Date: 01 June 2019 MANAGEME – Mr. P.S. Mokoena Managing Executive: Parks Date: 01 June 2019 NATIONAL PARK NATIONAL Mr F.G. Mketeni Chief Executive: SANParks Date: 20 November 2019 GARDEN ROUTE Ms J. Yawitch Date: 28 November 2019 Chair: SANParks Board Approved by the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Ms B.D. Creecy, MP Date: 05 December 2019 Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Garden Route National Park Management Plan 2020 – 2029 3 Table of contents No. Index Page Acknowledgement 2 1 Section 1: Authorisation 3 Authorisation 3 Table of contents 4 Glossary 7 Acronyms and abbreviations 10 Lists of figures, tables and appendices 12 Executive summary 14 Introduction 15 2 Section 2: Legal status 16 2.1 Name of the area 16 2.2 Location 16 2.3 History of establishment 16 2.4 Contractual agreements 16 2.5 Co-management agreements 17 2.6 Total area 17 2.7 Highest point 17 2.8 Municipal areas in which the park falls 17 2.9 Land claims 17 2.10 International, national and provincial listings 18 2.11 Environmental authorisations 19 2.12 Biophysical description 19 2.12.1 Climate 19 2.12.2 Geology, topography and soils 21 2.12.3 Freshwater and estuarine ecosystems 21 2.12.4 Marine and coastal processes 22 2.12.5 Flora 23 2.12.6 Fauna 25 2.13 Cultural heritage 29 2.14 Socio-economic context 29 2.15 Tourism 30 3 Section 3: Policy framework 32 3.1 Introduction 32 3.2 Strategic adaptive management 33 3.3 Park specific framework 34 3.4 Park regulations and internal rules 35 3.5 Support to the park 35 4 Section 4: Consultation 36 5 Section 5: Purpose and vision 38 5.1 Purpose of the park 38 5.2 Desired state of the park 38 5.2.1 Vision and mission 38 5.2.2 SANParks strategic plan 39 5.2.3 SANParks corporate vision of the desired state 39 5.2.4 Operating principles 39 5.2.5 Park context 41 5.2.6 Vital attributes 41 5.2.7 Determinants and risks to the vital attributes 42 5.2.8 High-level objectives 45 Garden Route National Park Management Plan 2020 – 2029 4 No. Index Page 5.2.9 Unpacking the high-level objectives 46 6 Section 6: Zoning 52 6.1 Introduction 52 6.2 Synopsis of updates to the 2012 zonation 52 6.3 Guiding principles underpinning the Conservation Development Framework 53 6.4 Rationale for use zones 53 6.5 The zoning system 54 6.5.1 The zoning process and it’s linkages to the underlying environmental analysis 54 6.5.2 Remote zone 59 6.5.3 Primitive zone 61 6.5.4 Quiet zone 62 6.5.5 Low intensity leisure zone 64 6.5.6 High intensity leisure zone 67 6.6 Overview of the special management overlays 69 6.7 The park buffer zone 72 6.7.1 Priority natural areas 73 6.7.2 Catchment protection 73 6.7.3 Priority alien vegetation clearing area 74 6.7.4 Fire management area 74 T PLAN 6.7.5 Marine buffer area 74 N 6.7.6 View shed protection 74 6.8 Future improvements 75 6.8.1 Coastal management lines 75 7 Section 7: Access and facilities 78 MANAGEME 7.1 Public access and control 78 – 7.2 Areas with restricted access 79 7.3 Airfields and flight corridors 81 7.4 Administration and other facilities 81 7.5 Visitor facilities 83 7.6 Commercial activities 85 7.6.1 Accommodation 85 7.6.2 Public private partnerships 86 NATIONAL PARK NATIONAL 7.6.3 Retail and other facilities 87 7.6.4 Activities 87 7.7 Cultural heritage sites 87 7.8 Community use 87 7.9 Mining 87 7.10 Servitudes 87 8 Section 8: Consolidation strategy 88 GARDEN ROUTE 9 Section 9: Concept development plan 92 9.1 Long term development 92 9.2 Development nodes 92 9.3 Communication routes 93 9.4 Service supply routes 93 9.5 Infrastructure development proposals 94 9.5.1 Commercial facilities and activities 94 9.5.1.1 Accommodation 94 9.5.1.2 Public private partnerships 94 9.5.1.3 Retail and other facilities 95 9.5.1.4 Activities 95 10 Section 10: Strategic plan 96 10 .1 Introduction 96 10.2 Natural heritage 97 10.2.1 Integrated fire management programme 97 10.2.2 Invasive alien species programme 100 10.2.3 Aquatic ecosystem management programme 105 10.2.3.1 Fresh water management programme 105 Garden Route National Park Management Plan 2020 – 2029 5 No. Index Page 10.2.3.2 Estuarine management programme 107 10.2.3.3 Marine and coastal management programme 112 10.2.4 Terrestrial ecosystem management programme 115 10.2.5 Landscape functionality programme 118 10.3 Cultural heritage programme 121 10.4 Responsible tourism programme 123 10.5 Equitable access and benefit sharing 129 10.5.1 Consumptive resource use programme 129 10.5.2 Ecosystems services programme 131 10.5.3 Engaged environmental awareness, education and capacity development 131 programme 10.5.4 Equitable access programme 133 10.5.5 Local economic development programme 133 10.6 Participative engagement 135 10.6.1 Communication programme 135 10.6.2 Stakeholder engagement programme 137 10.7 Learning, interpretation and research and monitoring programme 138 10.8 Effective park management 142 10.8.1 Environmental management programme 142 10.8.2 Risk management programme 144 10.8.3 Financial management and administration programme 145 10.8.4 Human capital development programme 146 10.8.5 Information and records management programme 148 10.8.6 Infrastructure programme 149 10.8.7 Security and safety programme 151 10.8.8 Safety, health, environment and quality programme 153 10.8.9 Climate change programme 154 10.9 Evaluation and learning 155 10.9.1 Introduction 155 10.9.2 Operationalisation 156 11 Section 11: Costing 158 11.1 Introduction 158 11.2 Income 158 11.3 Expenditure 159 11.3.1 Recurring costs 159 11.3.2 Once-off costs 159 11.3.3 Unallocated fixed costs 159 11.3.4 Maintenance 159 11.3.5 Replacement of minor assets 160 11.4 Summary 161 11.5 Implications 161 11.6 Future 161 12 References 162 Appendix 1: Declarations 172 Appendix 2: Stakeholder participation report 176 Appendix 3: Product development framework 182 Appendix 4: Internal rules 190 Appendix 5: Maps 192 Garden Route National Park Management Plan 2020 – 2029 6 Glossary Relating to or arising from the action of the wind. Produced or Aeolian carried by the wind. Means an airborne craft of any type whatsoever, whether self- Aircraft propelled or not, and includes hovercraft and drones. Refers to plants brought to South Africa from other countries, Alien vegetation both intentionally and unintentionally, which cause human, environmental or economic harm. Anthropogenic Describes changes in nature made by people. A balanced scorecard is a strategic management performance Balanced metric used to identify and improve various internal business scorecard functions and their resulting external outcomes. Fauna that live on, in, or near the seabed, river, lake, or stream bottom, also known as the benthic zone. This fauna Benthic fauna lives in or near marine or freshwater sedimentary environments, from tidal pools along the foreshore, out to the continental shelf, T PLAN and then down to the abyssal depths. N The South African name for fohn wind or mountain wind. It is a Bergwinds hot, dry wind that blows from the interior of South Africa to the coast and usually is blustery. MANAGEME The use of living organisms, such as insects or pathogens, to Biocontrol control pest populations. – An approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to Bio-mimicry human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies. Is the process of discovery and commercialization of new Biosprospecting products based on biological resources. It acts as an insulation layer between the protect area and the NATIONAL PARK NATIONAL Buffer zone potentially negative influences outside the park, protects the purpose and values of the national park. Cape Floristic Is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the six floral kingdoms in the Region world and is located in the Western and Eastern Cape provinces.