Planned fuel reduction burn in the southwest

29/10/2009

The Parks and Wildlife Service and Forestry Tasmania are conducting a planned burn in the Southwest National Park and on lands managed by Forestry Tasmania today.

Parks and Wildlife Service Fire Operations manager Adrian Pyrke said the burn of more than 2100 hectares is in buttongrass plains along the Gordon River Road near McPartlan Pass.

"The main objective is to reduce fuel loads on the buttongrass plains to reduce the likelihood of large wildfires," Mr Pyrke said.

"A secondary objective is to maintain species and vegetation diversity by creating a mosaic of burnt and unburnt patches."

Burning is undertaken during spring and autumn when the weather conditions permit and the risk to other vegetation communities is low. The burn will be undertaken using aerial incendiaries, with 35 PWS and FT staff monitoring the burn's progress.

Information about planned burns can be found on the Forest Industry planned burns website at www.plannedburnstas.com.au, the Parks and Wildlife Service website at www.parks.tas.gov.au., and on the Tasmania Fire Service website at www.fire.tas.gov.au