Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Management Plan

[RFG]

Interested in the issue of Wild Horse Management within Kosciuszko National Park?
Do you have a view, opinion or ideas that you can contribute to KNP Wild Horse Plan Review process, or just interested in further information on the issue?

The Wild Horse Management Plan for Kosciusko National Park is currently being reviewed and your input will help shape the next plan.

https://engage.environment.nsw.gov.au/protectsnowies

Here you can join the conversation about the Wild Horse Management Plan Review, access useful resources, share the conversation on social media and find out about the review process and the opportunities to have your say.

[kanangra]

Very interesting. Something has to be done. They have just about taken over up around the Tantangara area.

K.

[GPSGuided]

Should link with the same thread. Can't report within Tapatalk.

[davidmorr]

I sent an e-mail to NPWS with my thoughts on the horses based on my trip across the Pilot Wilderness earlier this year. I got a lovely reply encouraging me to join in the "conversations" (like forum threads) on their web site to put the alternative voice, as it is being dominated by horse supporters. What is apparent is that most of the horse supporters have never been into the areas where the horses are, and are making claims there is virtually no damage.

What is needed, I was told, is the voices of bushwalkers and others who can state first hand what is happening with some authority. Otherwise, when the votes are counted, the nags are likely to win.

Some of the conversations are on subject like "Why I value the Snowy Mountains". This is something we can all answer, and the more people that participate, the more likelihood that something will be done to control the horses.

[davidmorr]

Some new questions have been added to the conversations:

Have you read the recent article by The Guardian? What do you agree with or disagree with?

Do you agree or disagree that introduced species compete with native animals for food and shelter?

Do you have a topic you would to discuss on Protecting the Snowies?

There have also been quite active discussions in some of the earlier conversations, with the pro-horse lobby seemingly having the numbers if not the logical and provable arguments.

All Australians should have a say, even if you just click the "Agree" or "Disagree" buttons for each comment. It is numbers that count!

https://engage.environment.nsw.gov.au/protectsnowies

Some background reading here:

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resou ... owies3.pdf

I was interested to see that it costs $1070 to trap each horse. Aerial culling, it seems, costs as little as $30/animal, and is apparently more humane.

[davidmorr]

Coincidentally, the Federal Department of the Environment is seeking comments on a Draft Recovery Plan for the Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens ecological community. This covers alpine areas in Tasmania, NSW, Victoria and ACT.

Interestinly it says this in relation to feral horses:

In 2013 Worboys and Pulsford observed the direct impacts of a ‘very large number of horses’ and considered the damage to be comparative to the worst historic domestic grazing pressures that triggered the removal of stock from Kosciuszko National Park in the 1940s.

Comments are open until 3 December.

http://www.environment.gov.au/resource/ ... -community