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Knysna Fires

26 October 2020 Media Release: California steaming whilst Knysna and Bitou are reloading for wildfire round number two

Media Release: California steaming whilst Knysna and Bitou are reloading for wildfire round number two

For Immediate Release
26 October 2020

“With world news headlines dominated by COVID-19 and lockdown-related matters, coinciding with heated American politics and current affairs, the largest wildfire disaster in recorded American history keeps raging on in California and Western America, and so despite of its severe impact, it hardly makes the headlines,” says Cobus Meiring of the Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI).

According to the latest media reports, critical fire weather remains in effect across much of Northern California, with firefighters on high alert for the possibility of new fast-moving wildfires. Some media reports refer to the 2020 wildfire season as the first ‘gigafire’ in modern history.

Says Meiring, “In comparison to the wildfire disasters that affected the Southern and Western Cape over the past three years, the size and scale of the Western American wildfire theatre is simply staggering. To date, well over two million hectares have been reduced to ashes, and well over 9 000 dwellings and structures destroyed, including untold damage to grid infrastructure, the natural environment and productive agricultural land, with no clear end in sight yet.”

“Just like in South Africa, climate change has set the perfect platform for intense wildfires across the American West over past decades.”

“A marked increase in American, and South African, day and night temperatures, changes in rainfall and snow patterns, shifts in plant communities, stronger winds and other climate-change-related factors all contribute to setting the scene for ever more severe wildfires over much larger areas than ever before.”

Knysna burnt landscape with flower

“The only reason Southern and Western Cape communities have not suffered from severe wildfire disasters in recent times is because much of the flammable invasive alien plant material, accredited for providing the fuel for intense and out-of-control wildfires, has been destroyed by recent fires and is only now maturing to sufficient mass.”

“In mitigation of environmental conditions conducive to out-of-control wildfires, the persistent drought experienced during the past decade has largely been broken by the return of favourable rains in most parts, and, as a result, flammable material is currently not as dry as it were during the harsh drought in many parts. The rapid suppression of wildfires also allowed biomass to grow and accumulate over time.”

“Monitoring the present-day aggressive regrowth patterns of invasive alien plants along known fire paths by SCLI in the Southern Cape, following the 2017 and 2018 wildfire disasters, puts justice to the term ‘Knysna reloaded’.”

“In as much SCLI and many landowners have gone to great lengths to draw up and implement Invasive Alien Plant Control Plans to eradicate and control invasive alien plants on private  land, unwanted biomass, potentially providing the fuel for a recurrence of the 2017 and 2018 Garden Route wildfire disasters, is clearly visible and growing rapidly on the landscape,” warns Meiring.

He says funding streams generated to assist landowners in dealing with invasive alien plants in the aftermath of the Knysna fires have since been diverted in order to serve COVID-19 relief efforts. Landowners now have to take full responsibility for controlling what grows on their land. They have little choice but to adhere to strict environmental management guidelines governing invasive plant control and eradication or face stringent penalties issued by environmental management authorities such as the Green Scorpions.

In an all-out effort to create more wild spaces and to enlarge the conservation footprint of the Southern Cape through the rehabilitation of regional river systems, SCLI and private landowners are collaborating to create conservation corridors linking the Outeniqua Mountains with the Indian Ocean. This collaboration is of particular importance in the rural-urban interface where most invasive alien plants are present and the most significant wildfire damage is recorded.

For more information on how to deal with invasive alien plants on their land, landowners can visit the SCLI website at http://www.scli.org.za.

“Many Knysna and Plettenberg Bay landowners are setting the scene for a repeat of the intense 2017 wildfire disaster by allowing the large-scale return of invasive alien plants on the landscape. All that is required for the next fire disaster is the right climate conditions, sufficient fuel loads and a spark,” says Cobus Meiring of SCLI.

** The Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI) is a public platform and think tank for landowners and land managers with an interest in invasive alien plant management, water stewardship and land management. SCLI is supported by the Table Mountain Fund (TMF), a subsidiary of WWF SA. SCLI also manages the Secretariat of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Cobus Meiring: Chairperson of the Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI)

Cell: 083 626 7619

Email: cobus@naturalbridge.co.za

5 June 2020 MEDIA RELEASE/ARTICLE: Recovery of indigenous vegetation following the 2017 wildfire disaster remarkable, but regrowth of invasive alien plants on a large scale a reason for concern

5 June 2020

On the eve of the commemoration of the 2017 wildfire disaster which ripped through Knysna and Plettenberg Bay like a blow torch, Cobus Meiring, on behalf of the Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI) and the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF), asked Knysna Municipality’s Environmental Manager, Pam Booth, about her thoughts on the environmental recovery of the natural environment of the surrounding towns.

Says Booth, “The natural surrounds of both Knysna and Plettenberg Bay reflect what is true of most of the Southern Cape landscape, and that is the sad fact that it is severely affected by invasive alien plants.”

“It is common knowledge that the prevalence of impressive densities of invasive alien plants provided the biofuel that turned the wildfire into the inferno it became, generating heat so incomprehensible that everything in the path of the fires was obliterated.”

Continues Booth, “At the time, there were justified fears that, given the intense heat which the wildfire exerted on the landscape, that the indigenous seed bank in the ground, which would allow Fynbos species such as Proteas and Ericas to recover, was so badly affected that they will never recover, allowing even more of the beautiful landscape to become infested with invasive alien plants over time.”

“One such example was the invaluable terrain that is harbouring the unique set of plants sustaining the world-famous and endemic Brenton Blue butterfly. As confirmed now, the Brenton Blue is safe and sound, and much is being done by Brenton locals to ensure that invasive alien plants do not encroach on the town, giving indigenous vegetation a chance to recover, whilst reducing fire risk and creating jobs at the same time.”

“Fortunately, the plant species counted in the Southern Cape and Garden Route Fynbos Biome is a hardy species, which by nature are dependent on fire for survival and rejuvenation. Even as conservationists feared for the worst, the Fynbos came back, and after two seasons of favourable rainfall, the hills around Knysna and Brenton are alive with wildflowers of all kinds already standing two meters tall in places,” says Booth.

Regrowth of invasive alien plants poses a threat

According to Booth, the regrowth of invasive alien plants is a matter of great concern.

“It is true that in a great many places where invasive alien plants were present in numbers before the fire, they also grew back with a vengeance. This is a matter of great concern to all, as that may well set the scene for a repeat of the 2017 disaster in the coming years. Government is coming down hard on landowners who defies the laws governing the prevalence of invasive alien plants on their land, and already a number of landowners have received pre-directives and directives to either clear their land or face the court and the penalties associated.”

“Efforts by entities such as the Table Mountain Fund, WWF SA and the Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI) to empower and assist landowners to deal with the regrowth of invasive alien plants did make an impact, and private land bordering river systems such as the Knysna and Goukamma today is in a better state of invasive alien plant infestation than before the wildfire disaster.”

The Garden Route, including Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, is a jewel in South Africa’s crown of scenic tourist destinations. Thousands of jobs and the socio-economic survival of the area are dependent on its natural surrounds.

“Not only is it based on this premise that we implore landowners to manage invasive plants on their land, but also for the sake of biodiversity conservation which is also facing the impact of a changing climate and an ever-increasing human and development footprint,” says Booth.

*Sunday 7 June marks the commemoration of the 2017 Knysna wildfire disaster.

Photo: Fynbos in Brenton

Despite fears that the intensity of the 2017 wildfire disaster destroyed the underground seed bank of indigenous vegetation, Fynbos has made a remarkable recovery in the Garden Route. (Photo: SCLI)

** The Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI) is a public platform and think tank for landowners and land managers with an interest in invasive alien plant management, water stewardship and land management. SCLI is supported by the Table Mountain Fund (TMF), a subsidiary of WWF SA. SCLI also manages the Secretariat of the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF).

** The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a regional forum for collaboration in conservation, environmental adaptation and community interaction. The forum aims to coordinate regional conservation efforts, serve as a catalyst to drive climate adaption practices in the Southern Cape and strive to establish a better-coordinated approach to environmental management.

 MEDIA ENQUIRIES

  1. Pam Booth:Manager, Environmental Manager, Knysna Municipality

Cell: 082 875 0342 / 079 208 7855

Email: pbooth@knysna.gov.za

  1. Cobus Meiring:Chairperson of the Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI) and Chair of the Garden Route Environmental Forum

Cell: 083 626 7619 / Email: cobus@naturalbridge.co.za

Garden Route Environmental Forum Logo

Garden Route Environmental Forum launches extensive landowner assistance programme

Landowners in the Garden Route District, as well as the environment they live in, has over the past three years suffered tremendously, as a result of a series of severe wildfire disasters which basically burnt over 200 000 hectares to a tinder.

In a joint effort to assist landowners, the Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF), a collaborative forum established by the Garden Route District Municipality, launched an extensive landowner assistance programme, aimed at assisting landowners in gathering spatial data on the extent of re-growth of invasive alien plants (IAPs) on their land, and provide technical and herbicide assistance to landowners indicating a willingness to eradicate and control invasive alien plants on their land. The programme is spearheaded by the Southern Cape Landowners Initiative (SCLI) which is the implementing agent for the programme.

According to Cobus Meiring, manager of the GREF Secretariat, and chairperson of SCLI, further objectives of the programme include generating opportunities for regional invasive alien plant control and clearing contractor teams, and empowering landowners in complying with Department of Environmental Affairs’ (DEA) regulations pertaining to the management of IAPs on private land.

In many areas of the western and northern parts of the Garden Route, the crippling drought compounded the effects of the wildfire disasters. In places south of Riversdale, which burnt back in early 2017, the environment only now starts showing signs of vegetation cover.

“As if that is not enough, the vegetation type that makes its appearance first is of the wrong kind, and more often than not consists of dense stands of invasive alien plants, including (and there are many more) Rooikrans, Black Wattle, Blackwood, Long-leaved Wattle, pines of all shape and sizes, Stink Bean, Sesbania, Bluegum and a host of less known varieties such as Pampas Grass and Madeira Vine,” said Meiring.

Government is taking a tough stand on land management, especially invasive alien plant control and eradication.

Following the out-of-control wildfires, authorities are clamping down on landowners allowing their land to become overrun by invasive alien trees and biomass which, if not better managed and controlled, will set the scene for a repeat of the intense 2017 fires.

“However, landowners are in a difficult situation as combating invasive alien plants can be a costly exercise, with relentless and fast re-growth patterns, requiring never-ending commitment and resources from landowners. More often than not, land affected by IAPs are on parcels of land that are not viable from a farming perspective, clustered in areas that are difficult to access on either steep slopes or nestled in deep ravines,” explains Meiring.

“As a first step to better land management and compliance with environmental legislation, governmental officials insist that landowners develop Invasive Alien Plant Control Plans. Complicating matters even further, is that all landowners and estate agents have to make mention of the extent of IAPs on a saleable land as an addendum to a sales agreement.”

GREF will assist participating and qualifying landowners with the compilation of standardised Invasive Alien Plant (IAP) Control Plans, and where applicable, issue herbicide volumes in accordance.

Use of herbicide not ideal, but a crucial tool in managing IAPs on a landscape scale.

Landowners in the Garden Route are serious about living in an environment that is as uncontaminated as possible, and many are against the use of herbicides.

Meiring says the safe use and application of herbicide is imperative to the roll-out of the landowner assistance programme, and participating landowners will be expected to abide by health and safety regulations, and apply herbicide strictly as prescribed by the labels, depending on which type is best suited for the plants they have to treat.

Landowners interested in participating in and registering for the landowner assistance programme can write to: cobus@naturalbridge.co.za or p.buchholz@outlook.com.

** The Garden Route Environmental Forum (GREF) is a regional forum for collaboration in conservation, environmental adaptation and community interaction. The forum aims to coordinate regional conservation efforts, serve as a catalyst to drive climate adaption practices in the Southern Cape and strive to establish a better-coordinated approach to environmental management.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Cobus Meiring: Manager of the GREF Secretariat and Chairperson of SCLI

Cell: 083 626 7619

Email: cobus@naturalbridge.co.za

AVBOB donates R500 000-00 to the Eden DM Disaster Fund

AVBOB is one of the many companies whose commitment to helping by providing resources and funds to those affected by the fires that raged throughout parts of the Eden district in June 2017.

A donation of R500 000-00 was made to the Eden DM Disaster Fund by AVBOB. The Executive Mayor of Eden District Municipality, Cllr Memory Booysen, during his thanking speech, said: “We are grateful for AVBOB’s contribution and it will have a positive impact on the lives of those affected by the fires, your contribution will alleviate the pain and suffering of our people. We will keep the public updated about all the contributions we received and would like to remind the public that the Disaster Fund is an audited account.”

AVBOB representatives, the Eden DM Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen and Cllr Khayalethu Lose, Portfolio Chairperson: Community Services (front, fourth from right), Mr Clive Africa (back, far right), presents a cheque of R500 000.00 that was donated to the Eden Disaster Fund.

Cllr Khayalethu Lose, Portfolio Chairperson: Community Services commented that: “AVBOB’s vision of ‘We’re here for you’, truly underpins what their devotion to people, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Financial donations can still be made to the Emergency Fund, Standard Bank, Cheque Account no: 401719790, branch code no: 050214.

Hats off to Eden DM firefighters and volunteers

Management of Eden District Municipality, on 30 June 2017, recognised and praised efforts by all the dedicated, courageous and heroic Eden DM firefighters and those who volunteered during the June 2017 inferno. It was the most devastating fire that swept through the Eden district since 1869.

Cllr Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor of Eden District Municipality, during his keynote address at the Appreciation Ceremony, explained to those present that there are no words to describe what firefighters and volunteers went through. “No matter what we say or how we say it, we will never experience the emotions and trauma that you all had to. You all saw properties destroyed, people and animals die. I also understand that you might have felt helpless at times, but be assured that we were and will always support and pray for you, every step of the way”.

Mr Johan Brand, Eden DM Station Officer (white shirt, left with Drone controls) takes a photo of firefighters, volunteers and managers who were given recognition for their efforts during the June 2017 inferno.

Cllr Booysen boasted about the firefighters’ accolades and reminded those present, that Eden DM has the best firefighters in South Africa. “You know when you are good; it rubs off on others, you make me feel like a Toughest Firefighter too.” He said that during his engagements with the President of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma and the Premier of the Western Cape, Ms Helen Zille, he reiterated to them about Eden DM having the best firefighters in South Africa and that they did the best that they could under the circumstances.”

The Mayor also reminded everyone that when one house or twenty houses are destroyed, it is a disaster and that when a family suffers, it is also a disaster. Mayor Booysen made a promise that the conditions that firefighters return to at the Eden DM Fire station’s dormitories and facilities will be improved, “starting today”. He was baffled by the fact that firefighters never complained about the space they returned to after hours of tireless work and pleaded with them to raise issues in the future.

Mr Monde Stratu, Eden DM Municipal Manager (MM), committed to the Mayor’s instruction of creating a long-overdue relaxing space for firefighters. He also announced that Mr Gerhard Otto, Eden DM Manager: Disaster Management, was nominated to form part of the National Disaster Management Centre’s task team responsible for preparing guidelines that will be used to address disaster relief initiatives in South Africa.

Mr Gerhard Otto gave a brief overview of the fires over the past seven months and stressed that firefighters hardly had a normal life. “Many firefighters in the Eden District had to sleep at work for days on end, leaving families alone and worried at home.” During December 2016, persistent dry weather conditions fuelled wildfires which affected large parts of Knysna, Mossel Bay, Hessequa and George. It is predicted that annually, 7% of the Eden District will burn.

For Mr Otto, the June 2017 inferno reminded him of the seriousness of the tragedy that struck the United States of America on 11 September 2001. The entire world watched in shock and horror how the tragedy unfolded. “Fortunately for the district, we were able to deploy 1106 firefighters from all over South Africa. Every single person’s efforts had an invaluable effect on lives and properties saved.”
Recent statistics about the disaster, are as follows:

  • Aircraft from various institutions dropped approximately 1700 water bombs. In total, this amounted to 2.9 million litres of water bombs.
  • Knysna lost 805 formal dwellings and Bitou, 80.
  • 48 Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses were destroyed.
  • 180 Informal structures were destroyed.
  • The wind damaged 456 homes in George.
  • Aerial firefighting costs amount to R13.5 million (SANDF R8 million, Working on Fire R5.5 million).
  • The has amounted to R4.2 billion in damages.
The Eden DM Mayoral Committee and Speaker salute firefighters and volunteers. Fltr are: Cllr Memory Booysen (Executive Mayor), Cllr Rosina Ruiters (Deputy Executive Mayor and Portfolio Chairperson: Local Economic Development), Cllr Khayalethu Lose (Portfolio Chairperson: Community Services), Cllr Joslyn Johnson (Portfolio Chairperson: Rural Development), Cllr Erica Meyer (Portfolio Chairperson: Strategic Services), Cllr Jerome Lambaatjeen (Portfolio Chairperson: Financial Services) and Cllr Mark Willemse, Speaker.
As a sign of respect for lives and property lost, Mr Emile Conrad, Eden DM Senior Firefighter(left) performed a beautiful saxophone rendition of “I was blind, but now I see” with Mr Deon van Wyk, Deputy Fire Chief (right) who rang the firefighter’s bell.
Shortly after firefighters performed a parade, Cllr Memory Booysen, Eden DM Executive Mayor and Mr Monde Stratu, Eden DM Municipal Manager awarded firefighters with medals and certificates. Pictured is Ms Michelle Smalberger, Senior Eden DM Firefighter, walking towards the Mayor and MM to receive a medal and certificate.
Cllr Memory Booysen, Eden DM Executive Mayor, promises that Eden DM Management will ensure that the dormitories are conducive to a relaxing and well-deserved environment for firefighters.

Mr Johan Brand, Eden DM Station Officer, who presented the Appreciation Programme, also made use of a slideshow to visually present how different areas in the Eden district have been affected since December 2016.  All firefighters received medals of honour and certificates. Special recognition was given to Mr Phillip Wilken, who voluntarily fought fires by working side-by-side with Mr Deon van Wyk, Eden DM Deputy Fire Chief. Mr Deon Van Wyk, rang a bell in tribute to efforts by all firefighters. While the bell rang, Eden DM Firefighter, Mr Emile Conrad performed a beautiful saxophone rendition of I was blind, but now I see.

Mr Clive Africa, Eden DM Executive Manager, Community Services, during his address said: “Out of the ashes, beauty has come forth in the form of hope, compassion, courage, kindness, forgiveness, and above all, the spirit of generosity by the people of South Africa and across the world”.

Life after death

Mr Geoff Brown, Executive Chairperson of Black Oyster Capital in Knysna, recently donated a photograph, printed and framed, piece of artwork to the Eden District Municipality’s Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen. The picture was taken by a well-known photographer from Knysna; Warren Fleming and was taken two days after the devastating fires hit the town. The piece called ‘Life after Death’, portrays a Cape White Eye bird, sitting among remains left after the Knysna Fires that raged through the district in June 2017.

Eden DM Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen (left) in ecstasy after unveiling the artwork he received from Mr Geoff Brown (right).

Mr Brown explained to the Mayor that the reason for donating the artwork to Eden District Municipality (Eden DM), is because he believes that Eden will become the centre of regional economic development over the next five to ten years. “This District Municipality is going to transform into the most important commercial, political and administrative hub for the entire region. With de-urbanisation and people moving away from the cities, the district has already been declared as the next economic growth point after Stellenbosch. Due to that, it is vital for all organisations, private-, political- and social groups to develop relationships with the Eden District Municipality,” said Brown.

Executive Mayor Booysen responded by explaining that the district mayors and municipal managers took a conscious decision during a recent quarterly District Coordination Forum, to re-position Eden District as the next economic hub, and that “we will take the aftermath of the Knysna/Plettenberg Bay disaster and use the rebuild process as an opportunity to do it better; to do it sustainable; and to create more as an economic driver. He concluded by saying that the artwork is a symbol of the pain the district experienced, but at the same time, it portrays a healing tool. “You can’t change the past, but you can remember the past and build from there,” he added.

When asked where he plans to hang the artwork, Mayor Booysen responded, “definitely where it will be seen by everybody visiting the District Municipality’s Head office”.