Recognise the significance of Mountain Grey Gum to koalas
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Subject:
Mountain Grey Gum is essential for Strzelecki koala survival
Dear Ministers, Friends of the Earth has recently been undertaking koala surveys in the Strzelecki and Gippsland Plains bioregions. Both regions contain populations of the genetically significant Strzelecki koala. The Strzelecki koala is the most important koala population remaining in Victoria and South Australia due to its unique genetics. We have recently nominated the animal for listing under the EPBC Act. Work done over the past decade has confirmed that the following trees are Preferred Koala Feed Trees (PKFT) in the Strzelecki Ranges. Mountain Grey Gum, Blue Gum and Strzelecki Gum. Gippsland Red Gum is also a PFKT in the Gippsland Plains. Our recent koala work has surveyed large areas of Mullungdung State Forest. The surveys have revealed that Mountain Grey Gum is also easily the PKFT at Mullungdung, particularly with trees over 300mm in size. The significance of Mountain Grey Gum as a Strzelecki Koala PKFT was also confirmed by Phillips/Wallis 2016. We note that in VicForests Koala Management Instruction 2016 p5 that Mountain Grey Gum is not listed as a preferred forage species in Victoria. We urge the Minister to make a recommendation to VicForests to include Mountain Grey Gum as a Preferred Koala Forage Species. We also urge an update to the Koala Management Instruction to list Mountain Grey Gum as such. We are concerned about the following planned coupes that VicForests intend to log in the South Gippsland region that demonstrate the presence of the Mountain Grey Gum and other preferred koala feed trees. We urge VicForests not to log the following coupes: Mullungdung State Forest: Coupe 449-502-0004 (Mullungdung State Forest which appears to have a high density of koalas despite absence of Mountain Grey Gum - Swamp Gum is present). Jack River Block: Coupes 446-516-0001, 446-516-0002, 446-516-0003, 446-516-0004 (Mountain Grey Gum appears to be present in all these coupes and koalas have been sited). Alberton West State Forest: Coupes 445-502-0001 and 445-501-0001 (Mountain Grey Gum has been observed with koala scats). Blue Gum is a known koala PFKT and is present in these coupes as well as coupes 445-501-0002, 445-501-0003 and 445-504-0005. Won Wron State Forest: Coupes 452-999-0004, 452-999-0003 (Small amounts of Mountain Grey Gum has been observed) Please Minister, can you help Vicforests to recognise the conservation importance of the Mountain Grey Gum which has been preferred by the Strzelecki koala and endangered greater glider.
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