by Margo Sietsma
Parks has received the arborist’s report, and it presents us with some dilemmas. Eleven trees would need to be felled on the short loop, and a further 37 on the long loop in order to re-open the walk. Sylvia has done some VERY rough and fairly conservative estimates for the tree work. The cost would depend upon whether we could do the work with an internal crew like the summer fire crew or if we contracted it out to a company like Skyrider. Over the past 2 years PV have used a combination of both types of resources. We would need Skyrider for some of the trees as PV do not have the equipment to be able to trim a tree that is 45 metres high. Sylvia’s estimate is at least $3,000 for the short loop and the rough estimate for all trees would be around $15,450 for the whole job using a combination of summer fire crews and contractors. If we went entirely with contractors it would probably up the cost to more like $25,000. These figures don’t include removal of timber from the site as generally it is just pushed to one side for habitat or to close off a track etc. We would also need to add the cost of re-instating the gravel walkways and the signage, and replacing the picnic table and the seats along the way. There are more trees likely to shed branches, and lots of seedlings growing up on the track. It is getting very hard to find your way. I think in the short and intermediate terms it is impossible to think of it as a walk for the less abled – we just couldn’t keep it clear of hazards.
If you look at the maps, you can see that the left hand side of the loop has the least number of trees that need attention.
As I see it, we have three main options:
1. Give up on the idea.
2. Restore both walks.
3. Restore the short loop, and create a straight path along the old fence line (ie on the LHS), extending it further into the unburnt area of younger red gums, and with a spur going off to our fallen “drive through” tree.
Expanding the options:
1. Give up on the idea.
For:
Bill Neve’s magnificent table is irreplaceable. A substitute will never be the same.
The wonderful old tree is lying wrecked on the ground.
Each tree felled is one less potentially valuable habitat tree for birds and small mammals.
All signs of the logging industry are gone.
The signs are all obsolete, as the country looks so different. There are very few big trees left.
It won’t be disabled friendly.
How many of us local members still have the physical strength to do the work?
Is the cost justified seeing the level of usage and the needs in the rest of the park?
2. Restore both walks.
For:
It has been such a pivotal part of our history, and has great sentimental value. We had wanted to rename it the McInnes walks in memory of founding members Sue and Ivan McInness who provided so much to FOGG and to the Park, before their deaths in a boating accident in Gippsland.
We could redo the interpretation with a focus on change, and the way different plants react to fire.
3. Restore the short loop, and create a straight path along the old fence line
For:
Less trees to go – cheaper and lower impact on the forest.
It’s an old four wheel drive track and not difficult to re-open.
Surviving seats could be relocated
It would keep a flat and fairly less-abled friendly walk.
We would incorporate an unburnt red gum area.
Graham has assured us it is up to us. If we decide on option 2 or 3, he will respect it and support it and endeavour to allocate the resources
needed. However, he says that it is clearly not an organisational priority to expend so much money on reopening such a remote and relatively little used track, and then maintaining it to keep it open.
So, much food for thought. We will be discussing it at our meeting on July 8th. If you can’t make it, talk to someone on the committee or send Margo an email with your thoughts.