NATURAL VALUES AND CONTEXT
This 86 hectare property features tall wet Eucalypt forests, including Eucalyptus regnans, which is the tallest flowering plant in the world. The property rises to 745 m and is adjacent to Mount Field National Park. Wedge-tailed eagles are known to have nested on the reserve in the past and it is hoped that the Eucalyptus obliqua and Eucalyptus regnans forests of Brown Mountain will again host this magnificent and endangered species.
MANAGING BROWN MOUNTAIN
Brown Mountain is a relatively isolated block with few management issues. Management will be informed by annual property assessments, and management activities will be undertaken if threats to the natural values are identified.
THE BROWN MOUNTAIN STORY
In 1994 three local residents decided to raise the $60,000 purchase price to buy the land and protect it from further logging. Their plan was to recruit a total of 72 people, each donating $1000 to cover the land purchase and then invest the remaining $12,000 in an interest-bearing account to pay for annual rates and land tax expenses. The plan was successful and the land was purchased. The Trust was converted into an Incorporated Association in the 1990s to manage the ongoing administration of the land and draft and implement a covenant to permanently protect it.
In 2005 the Association’s members approached the TLC to offer the transfer and management of the reserve. It was felt that a formal permanent conservation organisation like TLC was the best long-term custodian for the reserve. The TLC took ownership of beautiful Brown Mountain Reserve from The Brown Mountain Association in 2007.
Banner photo: Leigh Walters
