Wildfires ignored

Parks Victoria’s draft land management strategy has been strongly criticised by the Howitt Society for completely ignoring the biggest threat to Victoria’s native forests –massive wildfires.
The society, in its submission to the review of the draft strategy, said prevention of large, high-intensity bushfires was the fundamental requirement for land management in the bushfire-prone forests.
“Unless this is done, no other management or conservation objective can be successfully achieved,” Howitt Society secretary an Orbost local, Garry Squires said.
“Landscape-level management of bushfire fuels is the cornerstone to minimising the damage resulting from large, high-intensity bushfires, and is the key element in an effective bush management system and in minimising the ecological impacts of fire.”
The draft land management plan, approved by the Parks Victoria board in August and released for public comment, aims to protect the state’s natural and cultural heritage for future generations.