Esk National
Park and Esk
State Forest are valued as a natural corridor conserving and linking fractured remnant
ecosystems and natural features once common in the area. The management focus is to maintain the natural
features and provide low impact visitor opportunities limited to bushwalking in the national
park section using the
network of fire
trails.Conservation purpose
Esk National
Park (377ha) was gazetted in 2006 as part of the South East Queensland Forests Agreement
(SEQFA) process, in recognition of the important biodiversity and conservation values of the former Esk Forest
Reserve. The
State forest will be managed for harvesting pine species.
Protecting and presenting the
park’s valuesLandscape
Esk National
Park and Esk
State Forest are located approximately 7km by sealed roads west of the township of
Esk.The predominant underlying geology is mainly
sandstone providing
sandstone ridges and sandy soils. The
topography consists of undulating ridges forming part of the Upper
Brisbane Catchment, which feeds into the
Wivenhoe Dam.The
park contains significant value as a remnant tract of corridor vegetation.
The
State forest is predominately a pine plantation with plots at different stages of maturity. There are corridors
throughout the
State forest of remnant vegetation that support native plant and animal biodiversity and mitigate
erosion and silt into riparian zones.Regional ecosystems
Esk National
Park conserves three regional ecosystems classified as of no concern at present (12.3.7, 12.9–10.14
and 12.9–10.5). The main vegetation communities are eucalypt open-forest to woodland with grassy understorey
and shrubby open-forest to woodland, dominated by narrow-leaved red ironbark Eucalyptus crebra, bailey’s stringy
bark Eucalyptus baileyana, forest red gum Eucalyptus tereticornis, blackbutt E. pilularis, brown bloodwood
Corymbia trachyphloia, spotted gum C. citriodora and river oak Casuarina cunninghamiana.
The
park conserves a remnant area that is considered of State biodiversity significance under the biodiversity
planning assessment for the South East Queensland bioregion. The remnant contains a regional ecosystem that is
one of the largest of its type in the bioregion; and the vegetation condition is natural. The
park is also identified as
having regional significance for its corridor values.Native plants and animals
The plants and animals conserved in Esk National
Park rely on the protected habitat that is no longer widespread
in the surrounding area. Species of conservation significance listed for the
park include the vulnerable glossy black-
cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami and koala Phascolarctos cinereus (Table 1). Several bird species are also listed
under international agreements (Table 2). For Esk National
Park and Esk
State Forest 64 and 107 species of
plants and animals respectively have been listed.Aboriginal culture
Little is known about specific Aboriginal cultural
heritage values of the
park and
state forest.
The Jagera people have a registered native title claim over both tenures (claim no.QC03/15).
Shared-history culture
Esk National
Park has a history of native timber harvesting, grazing, apiculture and
recreation. The
park contains
cultural remnants related to the prior use of the land, including posts from a forestry
camp and a loading ramp.Tourism and visitor opportunities
The
recreation uses of Esk National
Park include nature appreciation, bush walking and bird watching. Because of
the location and small size of the
park, the management focus is to provide a natural and undeveloped setting.
The number of visitors is unknown.
Esk National
Park and Esk
State Forest Management Statement 2013Commercial activities
Pine harvesting in the
state forest is the only current commercial activity.
Education and science
There are currently no known educational programs occurring at Esk National
Park or Esk
State Forest.
Partnerships
Cooperative partnerships with
Somerset Regional Council, Rural Fire Service (RFS), Hancock Plantations
Queensland (HQP), Queensland Police Service, and
park neighbours are to ensure the protection of the
park and
its values. These partnerships are essential in regards to pest and fire management.Pest management
A level 2 pest management strategy identifies priority
pests and control measures for the national
park. Targeted
pest plants including
lantana Lantana camara are spreading through the open forest communities and smothering
the native understorey vegetation. Observations of the impact of prescribed burning on these pest plants should be
made. Other weeds of significance include velvet tree pear Opuntia tomentosa, groundsel bush Baccharis
halimifolia and annual ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia.
Pest animals include feral red
deer Cervus elaphus and feral fallow
deer Dama dama, wild dogs Canis lupus
familiaris, red fox Vulpes vulpes, feral cats Felis catus and feral pigs Sus scrofa. Their impact on the estate is
unknown.Currently the emerging pest plant threats to the
park are from the adjoining cleared plots of
state forest. Early
intervention and coordinated management with HQP,
Somerset Regional Council and adjoining neighbours will
help to stop pest plants from spreading into the
park.Fire management
The open eucalypt forest based communities of Esk National
Park require periodic fire to maintain structural and
species diversity, reduce weeds and to mitigate against the possibility of catastrophic wildfire. Appropriate fire
management will also help protect fire sensitive vegetation communities including riparian areas and adjoining
commercial plantations from wildfire.
A level 2 fire management strategy for the
park and
state forest is in need of review. It aims to reduce the risk of
high intensity wildfire through maintaining good relationships with RFS, HQP,
Somerset Regional Council and
park
neighbours and landowners.
A good working relationship exists between QPWS and HQP completing joint fire mitigation activities and wildfire
management in the area.
Appropriate fire management can be used to help control pest plants such as
lantana at the landscape level.
Future fire management should aim to assess the effect of planned burning on emerging pest plants including
lantana.References
Department of Environment and Resource Management 2010, South East Queensland Natural Resource
Management Region Back on Track Actions for Biodiversity, Department of Environment and Resource
Management,
Brisbane