The New South Wales (NSW) National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) recently declared 85 new sites as Assets of Intergenerational Significance (AIS), enhancing conservation efforts for a multitude of threatened species. This announcement brings the total to 360 AIS sites across 151 national parks and reserves in the state, safeguarding 132 threatened plant and animal species. In the Snowy Mountains, Kosciuszko National Park (KNP) is home to several critically endangered species. When KNP is combined with the wider list of AIS sites found in the Snowy Mountains, the region accounts for just under 50 of the state’s AIS, representing around 13 percent and highlighting the fragile nature of alpine ecosystems.
PHOTO: Front-on view of a spotted tree frog on a rock CREDIT: Dave Hunter
Jillian Macintyre, Senior Project Officer at NSW NPWS, emphasised the importance of these declarations: “The 2019-2020 NSW Bushfire inquiry recognised the need to identify the most important natural and cultural settings in our national parks and reserves.”
“So, in 2021, the zero extinctions framework was launched, with part of that declaring sites as assets of intergenerational significance. These sites provide extra protection for plants and animals that are critically endangered.”
PHOTO: Jillian Macintyre, Senior Project Officer at NSW NPWS
KNP provides habitat for iconic critically endangered species such as the southern corroboree frog and the spotted tree frog, both of which face severe threats in their natural habitats. The southern corroboree frog, notable for its vibrant yellow and black stripes, is found exclusively in KNP’s sphagnum bogs.
PHOTO: The southern corroboree frog is found only in Koscuszko National Park and faces the threat of extinction CREDIT: John Spencer
The spotted tree frog is equally rare, with its population restricted to a single location in the KNP. The smoky mouse, another critically endangered resident, has been recorded at several sites within KNP. The smoky mouse, alongside the northern corroboree frog and low-lying flowering herbs like the clover glycine, showcase the park’s fragile ecosystem. In addition to KNP, sites like Numeralla Nature Reserve and Dangelong Nature Reserve also have protected AIS.
Numeralla and some near-by locations host a koala population, while Dangelong hosts the endangered kydra westringia. Some sensitive AIS sites are however left off the public map and remain un-marked in order to protect them.
PHOTO: Endangered Kydra Westringia native shrub CREDIT: Jackie Miles
Macintyre further noted, “The wonderful thing about the AIS program is that not only do they protect the species within the declared site, but they protect all the other plants and animals that thrive in these areas.”
PHOTO: The critically endangered smoky mouse found in KNP CREDIT: NSW NPWS
The AIS declaration is not merely a label; it offers the highest level of protection feasible. Each site will have a dedicated Conservation Action Plan, encompassing measures like feral animal control, fire management, the establishment of insurance populations, and ongoing monitoring.
The initiatives are key to achieving NSW’s zero extinctions goal, with AIS sites acting as legal fortresses, making it an offence to damage or interfere with the environmental or cultural values they protect.