MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Fransmanshoek Conservancy thanks the Garden Route Casino Community Trust (GRCCT) for its ongoing sponsorship, this time in the form of a standby firefighting skid unit to the value of R37 000.
The highly combustible growing and also harvested rooikranz (Acacia cyclops) branches are the Fransmanshoek Conservancy’s largest management challenge.
The dense stands of the alien invader plant throughout the coastal conservancy area not only are a threat to biodiversity, but also pose a significant fire risk to property and lives.
The conservancy includes rural and built-up communities with settlements such as Vleesbaai and Boggomsbaai most susceptible to large losses if a large fire were to break out. The conservancy takes all reasonable steps to ensure strategic firebreaks are created and maintained, while championing and co-ordinating all efforts towards fire readiness, awareness and training.
The conservancy plays an active role in the prevention of fire in the area encompassing the conservancy and its neighbours. This is done through a dedicated Fire Management Unit (FMU) coordinated in partnership with the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association (SCFPA) and Mossel Bay Fire Department.
The FMU, chaired by Fransmanshoek’s head ranger, Kei Heyns, meets regularly with land managers and the representatives from each organisation to coordinate fire readiness audits, strategic firebreak placement, action plans and firefighting equipment inspections.
The acquisition of a quick response firefighting skid unit or “Bakkie Sakkie” (a popular name among land managers and firefighters), is useful for fire prevention in the area.
The GRCCT-sponsored skid unit, a 600l Bakkie Sakkie mounted on a roadworthy trailer, arranged through the SCFPA, will go a long way in providing the area with a quick response resource until the Mossel Bay Fire Department arrives to help.
The Fransmanshoek Conservancy rangers - Kei Heyns, Nicole Blignaut and Anton Barnard - thank the Garden Route Casino Community Trust for the newly-sponsored Bakkie Sakkie.
'We bring you the latest Mossel Bay, Garden Route news'
