MOUNT CURRIE NATURE RESERVE KwaZulu-Natal South Africa Protected Area Management Plan Developed: 2013 Prepared by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Protected Area Management Planning Unit and the Mount Currie Planning Committee Citation Mount Currie Nature Reserve: Management Plan. Version 1.0 (2013), Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Pietermaritzburg. MOUN T CURRIE NATURE RESE RVE PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN i AUTHORISATION This Protected Area Management Plan for Mount Currie Nature Reserve is recommended by the Mount Currie Nature Reserve Planning Committee (NRPC), a multi-disciplinary team consisting of: Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Desmond Archer District Conservation Manager Midlands Ntokozo Cele District Conservation Manager Sisonke Athol Marchant Regional Ecologist Steve McKean Resource Use Ecologist West Patrick Lowry Officer In Charge: Mount Currie Nature Reserve Magda Goosen Protected Area Management Planner MOUNT CURRIE NATURE RESERVE PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN ii TABLE OF CONTENT AUTHORISATION .................................................................................................................................................. II APPROVAL ......................................................................................................................................................... IV TABLE OF CONTENT ............................................................................................................................................. VI LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................................. VIII LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................................ VIII LIST OF APPENDICEES ......................................................................................................................................... VIII LIST OF MAPS ..................................................................................................................................................... IX PREFACE ............................................................................................................................................................. X EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................... XI ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................................ XIII 1) BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Purpose of the plan ......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Structure of the plan ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 The values of Mount Currie Nature Reserve ................................................................................... 4 1.5 Planning approach .......................................................................................................................... 6 1.5.1 Adaptive management ............................................................................................................................... 6 1.5.2 Collaboration and transparency ................................................................................................................. 7 2) DESCRIPTION OF MOUNT CURRIE NATURE RESERVE AND ITS CONTEXT .................................................................. 8 2.1 Institutional and administrative framework for the management of MCNR ................................. 8 2.2 The legislative basis for the management of Mount Currie Nature Reserve .................................. 8 2.2.1 Proclamation status of Mount Currie Nature Reserve................................................................................ 9 2.2.2 Invasive species control in terms of the Biodiversity Act ............................................................................ 9 2.3 The policy framework guiding the management of Mount Currie Nature Reserve ........................ 9 CORE VALUES ................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.4 The regional and local planning context of Mount Currie Nature Reserve ................................... 11 2.4.1 The National Protected Area Expansion Strategy ..................................................................................... 11 2.4.2 The Provincial Protected Area Expansion Plan ......................................................................................... 11 2.4.3 EIA Regulations in terms of NEMA ............................................................................................................ 12 2.5 The history of Mount Currie Nature Reserve ................................................................................ 12 2.5.1 Origins of the name of Mount Currie Nature Reserve .............................................................................. 12 2.5.2 History of conservation in Mount Currie Nature Reserve......................................................................... 12 2.5.3 History of eco-cultural tourism in Mount Currie Nature Reserve ............................................................. 13 2.6 Ecological context of Mount Currie Nature Reserve ..................................................................... 13 2.6.1 Climate and weather ................................................................................................................................ 13 2.6.2 Topography, Geology and Soils ................................................................................................................. 14 2.6.5 Hydrology ................................................................................................................................................. 15 2.6.6 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................................ 15 2.6.7 Fire regime ................................................................................................................................................ 15 2.6.8 Invasive species ........................................................................................................................................ 16 2.6.9 Mammalian fauna ..................................................................................................................................... 16 2.6.10 Avifauna ............................................................................................................................................... 17 2.6.11 Herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) ............................................................................................. 17 2.6.12 Invertebrates ........................................................................................................................................ 17 2.7 Cultural context of Mount Currie Nature Reserve ........................................................................ 18 2.8 Socio-economic context ................................................................................................................ 19 2.9 Operational management within Mount Currie Nature Reserve ................................................. 20 2.9.1 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................................ 20 2.9.2 Staffing establishment .............................................................................................................................. 20 2.9.3 Funding levels at Mount Currie Nature Reserve ....................................................................................... 21 2.9.4 Management effectiveness in Mount Currie Nature Reserve .................................................................. 21 2.10 Summary of management issues, challenges and opportunities ................................................. 22 3) STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................ 24 3.1 Mount Currie Nature Reserve vision ............................................................................................. 24 3.2 Objectives and strategic outcomes ............................................................................................... 24 4) ZONATION PLAN ........................................................................................................................................ 27 4.1 Zonation of Mount Currie Nature Reserve .................................................................................... 27 4.2 Concept development guidelines .................................................................................................. 29 MOUN T CURRIE NATURE RESE RVE PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN vi 4.2.1 Key Feature Protection Overlay ...............................................................................................................