The Non-Forest Vegetation Project (NFVP) was established as part of the Natural Heritage Trust
Bilateral Agreement to implement measures to protect threatened (rare, vulnerable and endangered) and under-reserved, non-forest, native vegetation on private land.
The NFVP was established in 2003, working with landowners to provide for the long-term management of non-forest vegetation communities, providing benefits for conservation and primary production. The program had a particular focus on native grasslands due to their role as diverse vegetation types that provide important functions at both the property and catchment level.
The NFVP provided financial incentives to private landowners to protect non-forest vegetation on private land within Tasmania through the establishment of Conservation Covenants and Vegetation Management Agreements. The program also offered financial incentives towards on-ground works (e.g. fencing, weed management).
The Tasmanian Government continues to support landowners who have a Covenant registered on their land title, or a Vegetation Management Agreement (see
Monitoring and Stewardship).
Beyond the Tussocks: Reflections on the Non-forest Vegetation Project
Beyond the tussocks: Reflections on the Non-forest Vegetation Project The Non-forest Vegetation Project (NFVP) was established in 2003 to support the protection of rare, vulnerable and endangered non forest vegetation communities from clearance and conversion on all land tenures. The project aimed to achieve this through voluntary landowner conservation covenants and vegetation management agreements, including financial and other incentives and through additional protection measures on Crown land.
The NFVP was recently concluded with some of the notable achievements being the 20,476 hectares protected in collaboration with major landowners, including 6,035 hectares of priority non-forest vegetation. This was achieved using more than $3 million of Australian Government funding, provided as financial incentives to landowners through the project. Additionally, approximately $2.7 million of incentive funding from other programs (including the Midlands Biodiversity Hotspot Tender, Biodiversity Hotspot Program, and Private Forest Reserves Program) contributed to reach the total hectares under agreement.
Some of Tasmania's largest and most significant lowland (and highland) grassland sites are now covered by long-term conservation management agreements. Twenty-four perpetual covenants, two fixed-term covenants and numerous vegetation management agreements have been finalised. In addition to the incentive payments, over $300,000 was directed to fencing and weed control works.
The full version of the "Reflections on the Non-forest Vegetation Project" article can be found in the following issue of
The Running Postman newsletter.
The Running Postman - April 2010 (702Kb)
Outcomes
Outcomes of the NFVP included:
Conservation Covenants registered on private land;
Vegetation Management Agreements on private land;
Provision of information, decision support systems and training to assist landowners in non-forest vegetation management planning;
Enhanced protection and management of threatened non-forest native vegetation on private land; and
Progress in terms of developing incomes for conservation work on private land.
Additional information
Non-Forest Vegetation Project Brochures