Leadbeater's Possum Detection Report – 483-506-0010 'Icecap'
On Wednesday the 28th of December 2016 a nocturnal Leadbeater’s Possum active search survey was conducted along Boiler Road off the south face of Mt. Baw Baw, within and adjacent clearfell logging coupe 483-506-0010. During this survey investigation a Leadbeater’s Possum was detected and reported to the Department of Environment and Land, Water and Planning on Sunday the 1st of January 2017. Following the report, a 200m timber harvesting exclusion zone was put in place around the sighting in the south-western section of the clearfell logging coupe.
A return visit to the area on Wednesday the 18th of April 2018, revealed that part of the north- western section of coupe 483-506-0010 had been taped out. This report documents the findings of a second critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum detected along Boiler Road off the south face of Mt. Baw Baw, with the timber harvesting exclusion zone impacting on the north-eastern sections of coupe 483-506-0010. We conclude that any scheduled clearfell logging operations within coupe 483-506-0010 must not proceed and that this coupe must immediately be removed from VicForests’ current Timber Release.