Joint Management Stories
Two-Way Burning in the Davenport Ranges
Joint Management on the Ground
In July 2007, Traditional Owners, PWS rangers and staff from the Central Land Council gathered at the Davenport Ranges (Proposed) National Park to conduct a Two-Way controlled burn. The burning exercise combined traditional methods of caring for country with contemporary fire management techniques.
The project was initiated by CLC staff at the request of senior Traditional Owners.
Traditional Owners wanted to burn the country to bring back bush tucker and protect important cultural sites. This means selectively burning small areas of land, focussing upon individual sites rather than larger fires covering many hectares.
Before the burning exercise took place, staff from the CLC Tennant Creek office worked with senior Traditional Owners to identify sites where burning would take place. They then worked together with PWS rangers from Tennant Creek to plan how the project would take place.
When the project began, senior men were taken by helicopter to the sites they’d identified. They were later joined by younger men, who were taught the importance of the sites and how to prepare these areas for burning.
Once the senior men declared the sites to be clear, rangers went up in the helicopter and dropped incendiaries to burn the areas. Senior men were able to direct the burning with the rangers from the air.
Senior District Ranger, Wayne Gaskon, talked about how the project changed rangers’ perspectives on burning: When we talk about joint management, it’s not just about achieving the aims of the exercise. There’s a real commitment there for everyone. What we’ve done will affect the way make fire plans in the future.
Contact:
Amanda Markham,
Joint Management Anthropologist,
Parks & Wildlife Service
PH (08) 8951 8207
Fax: (08) 8951 8290
Photos:
S.Nicholson, Parks & Wildlife
