South African National Parks (SANParks) will begin its review of the Garden Route National Park (GRNP) management plan next week.
The GRNP covers 175 000 hectares that include indigenous forests, lakes, rivers, wetlands and the sea. It consists of the previously proclaimed Tsitsikamma and Wilderness National Parks; the Knysna Lakes Area; as well as the Indigenous Forest and fynbos areas previously managed by the Department of Forestry.
The management plan aims to set out the strategic direction for the park, to ensure the protection, conservation and management of the protected area, in a manner consistent with the objectives of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act.
This will be the first phase of the revision to develop the ‘desired state’ of the GRNP. It sets out the strategic direction, which consists of a mission and high-level objectives through which to achieve it. These will be informed by stakeholders, who are invited to join workshops to articulate the desired state of the GRNP.
Three workshops will be held across the Garden Route to engage with stakeholders from various sectors: Tsitsikamma on April 9, Knysna on April 10, and Wilderness on April 11.
More information can be found on the SANParks website.
