The Media The controversy...(letters in press)
(click on the thumbnails)
TAKE UP THE FIGHT FOR THE RETURN OF FORESTRY TO TABLE MOUNTAIN
SAVE OUR BEAUTIFUL FORESTS AND TREES - FORESTRY OCCUPIED A TINY % OF THE TABLE MOUNTAIN PARK
(now less than about 1% of the park )
A Tot of history of TABLE MOUNTAIN SANPARKS,. ...Round about 2000/ 2003
Table mountain is not just a Bioreserve,- its the Soul of cape town. Most people here are very aware of nature conservation and threatened species and Fynbos! There was a big controversy about whether or not the western cape, - Cape town should hand over their crown Jewel, Table mountain to SANPARKS with their administration in Pretoria - so far away. Would SANPARKS understand how to manage a park that is both an urban park and nature reserve ? Would they see the depth of meaning that Table mountain is to Cape Town people ? Many people said no -way - the park cannot be given to SANPARKS. They are already handing out bush camps to Private companies where they are being rented at R3000/ per person per night and becoming ultra elite like the private game lodges in SA. Many south African cannot afford the wilderness anymore and fair priced nature camps are booked full most of the time. SANPARKS is not just about Biodiversity but is an instrument that assists people into direct relationship with nature, inspiring a love of it and interest to preserve it. Without Sanparks- we have very little access points into wilderness.
So who are the people that make SANPARKS. I have no doubt that there is genius in there and treall great people who have made incredible little rustic, beautiful affordable places in the bush for people and have done their utmost to be invisible so that you can be in the bush!
WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN CAPE TOWN ? Its a disaster,- DWAF obviously did their research and promises were made that just evaporated into gas as soon as the ink dried ....
...Extracts from the BIG PROMISE TO THE PEOPLE OF CAPE TOWN! (DWAF SANPARKS PRESS RELEASE)
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Breaking news... SOUTH AFRICA and the BEES...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVTX6BxrWEU&playnext=1&videos=EIqir4LPWFc
shown on Aljazeera,- around the world!!
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THE FYNBOS FUNDAMENTALISTS WANT IT ALL TO BE FYNBOS and have now even declared S AFRICA YELLOW WOODS as invaders!!! ....read on!! This has become a Monty Python Movie! According to many,- top scientists too - The extinctions occurring here in Fynbos is also partly due to natural rise & fall of species dominance. The way this situation is represented by many is not truth but probably more about self importance + spite & contempt than science!
Read the letters yourself and make up your own minds!!!
There is place in the park for Fynbos and Forests! People and Bioreserve! Its a sad state where So called "scientists" cannot think in the grey but live in a fundamentalist BLACK WHITE / stereotyped world. We have had many many meetings with articulate , sensible, scientists, professors and wonderful people who see that TABLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK is a PEOPLES PARK and a BIO-RESERVE...
How is it that We have come to this ?
Intolerance, contempt, Fundamentalism and a fanaticism that you read about in old history books.
But what is most absurd is that all this was foreseen and promises were made on top level that this would not happen. There are fundamentalists/ fanatics everywhere and theDWAF PRESS RELEASE originally for THE TRANSFER OF TABLE MOUNTAIN TO SANPARKS says it all! Read it!! It addresses this issue from the very beginning that SANPARKS agreed to accommodate the local people who's lives are Table Mountain! Cape Town is Table Mountain.
I don't believe the majority of the local SANPARKS officials here and in Pretoria really gave damn for balance. It was really a Kruger national park in table mountain - I don't know if they had the available RAM in their heads to think in a holistic big picture. A picture that coiuld be a Bioreserve and urban park/ nature reserve.
When the local "Fynbos Fundamentalists" and "Fynbos brigade" and the so called "working for water" got involved it was the perfect chemical reaction to make a fundamentalist movement! Perhaps Thats what created this! Add in a sprinkling of sick old south african Bigot psychology that hasn't healed yet and there you have it - a fundamentalist xenophobic stereotyped fanatic movement that mist eradicate everything that isnt 100% home grown!
If they win - If they win,- meet your FUTURE (in the park ...and who knows...the way things are going ...will it be the green belts next ??)
click this picture below!!
They are now currently removing non invectives' like Oak, Stone pine and .....believe it or not,- INDIGENOUS YELLOW WOODS
and some of this IN THE VALLEYS OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN - BY THE GREEN BELT AREAS!!
UNLESS YOU ACT NOW....Its goodbye shade, wind proof, beautiful big trees, forests....AND OUR
FAVORITE RECREATIONAL PLACES
LIKE TOKAI FORESTS & CECILIA FORESTS & CONSTANTIA NEK - now gone!
ACT NOW!! Rampant fanaticism + political apathy is currently removing all shaded recreational forests- In the agreement between DWAF and SANPARKS - the promise was that this WOULD NOT HAPPEN!
WAKE UP CAPE TOWN and fight for an URBAN FOREST PARK - PUT AND END TO FYNBOS FUNDAMENTALISTS and a FANATICAL BIO- BIGOT VANDALISM
READ CAPE TIMES 2010 - a view that summarizes the feelings of MANY !!
The ORIGINAL PROMISE - BROCKEN - See the LIES AND DECEIT FOR YOUR SELF!
DWAF PRESS RELEASE
And its not just the forests ...but its an obsessive campaign removing shade!
Popular areas of Oaks and plantation forests (Tokai) BEFORE AND AFTER!
Now, - (there is no replanting) - Many of the old OAK TREES are being killed.
These tree stumps on table mountain near the cable car were ...once upon a time....places where you could rest in the cool dappled shade - Now they are gone,- the result of the MADNESS of an anti-alien campaign that has no boundaries -driven by zealots and fanatics.
Precious Cape town shaded view points. Today they are dry and tree stumped and boiling in the heat and useless!.
Big beautiful shade trees were removed from all over the mountain,.- many were NOT INVASIVE ALIENS!
Forestry is not just about trees,- its about mountian biking, horse riding, dog walking, picnics and yes PEOPLE.
Our lives here do matter,- the park is not just all about FYNBOS!
PUBLIC RECREATION IN TABLE MOUNTAIN. (new page coming up)
Adverts anaesthetizing the public - says "normal cycle of forestry" when forestry had been given the boot!
The legendary Constantia nek forests walk! GONE!!
Lions head and many other places - notice there is NO REPLANTING~!
A tree disappearing act - notice its all quietly going!
Click to read
Food for thought - springs seem to be popping up in strange places in the street in Camps bay,- at least one house has collapsed! Is there any relationship to the big trees that were all removed on the slopes ?? If there is a relationship here and more water collecting in the ground...what's going to happen in places like Constantia ? where they have removed massive forests and are not replanting. Notice also that there is no replanting of the aging trees along Dewaal drive and all the forests will be gone Sooner than you realize!!
Cape Town NEEDS MORE TREES and NEEDS big tree real FORESTS PARKS...not just little lined walkways!
These are pictures in camps bay,- there were massive trees removed above ...any relationship here ?
The picture to the left has been running for so long that the tarmac is actually being eaten away - A river is forming!
The Latest...JAN 2010
NOW OLD OAK TREES are "ALIEN INVADERS" (yes - believe it!!)
THE LATEST:- now its KILLING THE OLD OAK TREES!!
GALLERY & SLIDE SHOW (coming up soon) ).
Politics (isn't it always?. The background cash)
Environmental Issues of Cape Town
Tree, Forest and Fynbos MythsThe ANTI-TREE madness (Thomas Pakenham talks about the tree Taliban)
NOTHING GROWS UNDER PINE ? Hmmm...have a ...well sad laugh!
SAY SOMETHING ON OUR BLOG:-
Copyright
Urban Forest Protection Group
The greatest cities in the world have huge parks with big trees! With our South Easter and blistering hot summers...not a bad thing!
Parks with big old trees. .Trees,.....what a blessing...you cant build them...you inherit them....sometimes over decades of growth.
Look at Richmond Park and Hyde Park of London ....Look at Central Park...of New York. MIRACLES for big city's to have these massive...parks ...some with forests!! (see pics on this site)
Here in Cape town many want our park to be nothing but Fynbos and after much fighting ....we have lost and now its pretty much goodbye - we will have in the future a few miserable "shaded walkways" (read below)
There are no trees in Fynbos! Look carefully as you drive around cape town and the western cape and notice that we have very few trees - in some areas NONE!! They are a critical part of any city. Take a drive to the Mitchell's plain, Malmsbury, Grassy park and notice what you see is shade-less bleak brightness. Drive along Devaal - notice almost ALL trees are foreigner species. Explore this site and see the tragedy that is unfolding. We are all very aware of ALIEN INVADERS but the BIO-FUNDAMENTALISTS in SOUTH AFRICA have grotesquely driven this fact to obscene levels. Here in Cape town they would like to see all of the mountain (and maybe even certain suburb and park areas) devoid of alien species. Even Oak and Poplars have been destroyed in areas where they are critical park/ shade trees and cannot invade / contaminate Bio-sensitive areas.
Notice Kloof nek into camps bay -no trees are being replanted. Notice the drive into cape town...Trees are aging and will die..No
Thanks to all of you that have tried so hard to fight for a wonderful outdoors refuge that was promised to the people of cape town. The promise sort of fizzled out and was broken.
READ THIS,- Depo of Water affairs and forestry/ Sanparks public statement. Urban forests protection group is now closing down - we have tried & real sincere attempts were made by the Mayor of Cape Town to help solve this conflict in a series of meetings headed by Professor Fuggle of UCT. Its over now and we believe we were misrepresented many times in the media. For example - It was announced in the Argus that a "win win" breakthrough had occurred and everyone was "delighted" with these meetings.
This is not true. There was NO HAPPY PEOPLE WHO SAW A WIN WIN SITUATION EXCEPT THE BIO-FUNDAMENTALIST!
The meetings did not even conclude to a heads of disagreement / agreement.
Its up to YOU - now. Every letter counts.
CAPE TOWN NEEDS A REAL URBAN FORESTS PARK...WITH ONGOING FORESTRY AS A SECONDARY FUNCTION TO A FOREST PARK FOR THE PEOPLE,-
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WRITE TO THESE IMPORTANT PEOPLE - DO IT NOW!!!!
Express your self! Dont be shy!
(I have put the emails in this way to protect these people from SPAM!)
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WHAT WE THINK ABOUT THE CONCESSIONS MADE BY SANPARKS TO MEET THE NEEDS FOR SHADED RECREATION.
1.A brief resume of the negotiations between SANP and Urban Forest Protection. In 1996 a decision was taken to consolidate State owned land into the Table Mountain National Park. This was formalized in 2005. Originally, when Tokai and Cecilia were entrusted to SANP by DWAF, Ministerial press release stated that for the next 70 years the plantations would “be managed for conservation, timber production and as an outdoor refuge for thousands of nearby city dwellers, particularly previously disadvantaged communities living in the Cape Flats area.
This was subsequently changed, without consultation, to the present 20 year exit policy whereby, with the exception of a small area around the Tokai arboretum, all the pine trees would be felled for conversion to fynbos as they reach merchantable age.
This drastic change caused consternation among the public who value the plantations as a shady areas for walking, mountain biking and horse riding and a company, Urban Forest Protection, was formed to channel protest, compromise suggestions and discussions with SANP and DWAF and the consultant appointed to draw up a draft management plan .Over 2000 signatures protesting the change were obtained in one brief survey. Despite concessions made for a reduced area of plantation none of the proposals were acceptable to SANP who were insistent that the biodiversity aspect was of paramount importance. Instead to accommodate the request for shaded recreation two proposals have been included in the draft management plan
(I) shaded walkways for a few selected footpaths a belt of indigenous trees would be planted on either side of the paths.
(ii) transitional plantations. In part of the lower portions of Tokai and Cecilia after the felling of the original pine stands, the logging slash will be burnt to stimulate fynbos regeneration, when the fynbos reaches maturity (8-12 years) pine seedlings are planted in the Fynbos, when these reach 20 years and have suppressed the fynbos the pines are felled and the process is repeated.
These proposals have never been debated but this so-called accommodation of the needs for shaded areas have been generally accepted by the public. It is our opinion that they are basically flawed and in fact impractical for the following reasons:
(1) shaded walkways. If trees for planting on either side of the paths are limited to indigenous species or species that are endemic to the TMNP it may be difficult to find species that are large enough to provide adequate shade. During the winter the NW winds off the mountain develop a venturi effect are likely to cause wind throw on these isolated strips of trees.
(ii) transitional plantings. There are several major problems with this proposal.
1.burning a section, say 40ha,of plantation slash on relatively steep slopes surrounded by either mature fynbos or an area with pine trees and suppressed fynbos will be dangerous and difficult to control and the danger of a runaway fire high.
2.establishing young pines in mature fynbos without large clearing around the trees will be expensive and unlikely to be successful.
3. even when the pine trees are large enough to cast sufficient shade to suppress the mature fynbos the result will be a tangle of half dead fynbos unsuited to walk through and in no way provide an alternative to the existing condition of pleasant shade under large trees which provide a park like atmosphere.
Of concern is the probability that in 20 years time when it is found that these proposals are not practical it will be too late to go back to an alternative of keeping sections of existing plantation.
It is important that these proposals be debated before accepted in the final management plan.
Urban Forest Protection
Time for quiet walk....one of those magic overcast days in Cape Town....when the mists come in....and a forests Stream. Moss covered rocks and your best buddy!
Alien trees on camps bay drive
Alien trees 99% of the cape!
Start thinking about it.....Most of our big trees here are alien.
Should it ALL to be Fynbos ?
- We acknowledge, know and respect the fact of preservation of rare species and the protection of all species of Fynbos and practical nature conservation.
- We acknowledge the issue of ALIEN INVADORS as extremely serious.But not all aliens are invadors.
- Cape Town is growing rapidly. Its hot and dry in summer and a strong wind, we call the south easter often makes the outdoors windswept and very harsh. Trees provide an outdoor windproof recreation area even when the South Easter is "howling" as it does here...and its truly ...well...horrible!
- Allmost all of our remaining walkable forests & big shade trees are foreigner species and forestry operations
- A massive amount of people form the city utilise the forests for walking and hiking and mixture of socialising activities. The Fynbos Fanatics and conservation fundamentalists would like to see ALL ALIENS REMOVED...
- When everything is Fynbos and all shade and big tree'd beautiful walks are gone. It will take MANY DECADES of slow growth to even get back ........to where we are now!
- Oak, Popular, Pine, - are all aliens that beautify the city and its forests in the park now unfortunately fall under management by SANparks and the so called WORKING FOR WATER ...group...(lots of questions around this organisation...and it seems to have gone way way over the top.
- Sanparks has already removed a massive amount of OAK and PINE that was NON-INVASIVE and immensely precious to the outdoor lovers of Cape Town CIty.
- AN OAK TREE IS NOT AN ALIEN INVADER and Niether are many other trees getting the axe like stone pine.
- Read this.....h Preston brigade. - It took high level intervention by Minister kasrils to save them.....Pretoria had to fight for its soul.
Other places A model of
BALANCE click below...ENGLAND NEW FORESTS
21st centaury MODERN THINKING...In the UK - where Conservation, farming, heritage all meet with modern user friendly nature conservation.
All alien trees (jacarandas miss the blade)!