VOLUME 1: MAIN REPORT Walking Track Management Strategy for Tasmania’s National Parks and Reserves 2011 - 2020 Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Walking Track Management Strategy for Tasmania’s National Parks and Reserves Volume 1: Main Report March 2011 © Parks & Wildlife Service, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Contents 1. Summary .................................................................................................. 1 2. Vision and Strategy objectives ................................................................ 3 2.1 Vision .......................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Strategy objectives .................................................................................................. 3 3. Rationale, outcomes and scope .............................................................. 4 3.1 Rationale for this Strategy ..................................................................................... 4 3.2 Prescribed Strategy outcomes ............................................................................. 4 3.3 Scope of the Strategy ............................................................................................. 5 4. Background ............................................................................................... 7 4.1 Management context .............................................................................................. 7 4.2 Key management issues ....................................................................................... 10 4.3 Past management ................................................................................................... 12 5. Information sources ............................................................................... 14 5.1 Track inspections................................................................................................... 14 5.2 The track monitoring program .......................................................................... 14 5.3 The campsite monitoring program ................................................................... 16 5.4 Usage ........................................................................................................................ 17 5.5 Trampling trials ...................................................................................................... 17 5.6 Other information sources ................................................................................. 18 6. The track typing analysis ....................................................................... 19 6.1 The concept of track types ................................................................................. 19 6.2 Track typing as a predictive tool ....................................................................... 20 6.3 Using GIS data to predict track types .............................................................. 21 6.4 Outline of the GIS analysis .................................................................................. 21 6.5 Reliability of the analysis ...................................................................................... 21 6.6 Extending the typing scheme state-wide ......................................................... 22 6.7 Applications of the analysis ................................................................................. 22 7. Limits of acceptable change .................................................................. 24 7.1 Background ............................................................................................................. 24 7.2 The concept and application of LAC ................................................................ 24 7.3 Developing an LAC system for Tasmania ....................................................... 25 7.6 Modifications to the BATR system ................................................................... 25 8. Assigning management priorities ......................................................... 27 8.1 Background ............................................................................................................. 27 8.2 Factors that determine priorities ...................................................................... 28 8.3 Calculating overall priority .................................................................................. 28 8.4 Defining priorities .................................................................................................. 29 8.6 Override and applied priorities ......................................................................... 29 ii 9. Findings ................................................................................................... 31 9.1 The track system ................................................................................................... 31 9.2 Extent of track stabilisation................................................................................. 31 9.3 Findings of the track typing analysis .................................................................. 33 9.4 Usage levels and trends ........................................................................................ 34 10 Management options.............................................................................. 37 10.1 Doing nothing ......................................................................................................... 37 10.2 Hardening tracks and campsites ........................................................................ 37 10.3 Other infrastructure ............................................................................................. 38 10.4 Priority erosion control ....................................................................................... 39 10.5 Track realignment .................................................................................................. 39 10.6 Building new tracks ............................................................................................... 40 10.7 Modifying usage and walker behaviour ............................................................. 40 10.8 Regulating usage ..................................................................................................... 41 10.9 Rotating tracks and campsites ............................................................................ 41 10.10 Fanout and use dispersal ...................................................................................... 42 10.11 Closing tracks/campsites ...................................................................................... 42 10.12 Monitoring ............................................................................................................... 42 11. Walking track works .............................................................................. 43 11.1 Defining ‘works’ ..................................................................................................... 43 11.2 How costs have been estimated ........................................................................ 44 11.3 Track stabilisation techniques ............................................................................ 45 11.4 Priority erosion control ....................................................................................... 45 11.5 Track realignment .................................................................................................. 45 11.6 Phytophthora cinnamomi management ............................................................ 46 11.7 Summary of works requirements ...................................................................... 46 11.8 Works requirement assessments ...................................................................... 48 11.9 Recording works .................................................................................................... 49 12. Monitoring ............................................................................................... 50 12.1 General ..................................................................................................................... 50 12.2 Elevated and built infrastructure ........................................................................ 51 12.3 Visual assessments ................................................................................................. 51 12.4 Distance sampling .................................................................................................. 52 12.5 Data capture ........................................................................................................... 52 12.6 Condition assessments ......................................................................................... 53 12.7 ‘Clustered transect’ sites ..................................................................................... 54 12.8 Refine typing methodology .................................................................................. 54 12.9 Broadscale trampling impacts ............................................................................. 55 12.10 Aerial monitoring ................................................................................................... 55 12.11 Campsite monitoring ............................................................................................ 55 12.12 Usage monitoring .................................................................................................