Stewardship options for Riversong

Stewardship within CapeNature and CAPE (Cape Action for People and the Environment)

Stewardship means wisely using natural resources that you have been entrusted with on your property: protecting important ecosystems, effectively managing alien invasive species and fires, and grazing or harvesting without damaging the veld.

The Stewardship Program aims are:
1: To ensure that privately owned areas with high biodiversity value receive secure conservation status and are linked to a network of other conservation areas in the landscape.
2: To ensure that landowners who commit their property to a stewardship option, will enjoy tangible benefits for their conservation actions.
3: To expand biodiversity conservation by encouraging commitment to, and implementation of, good biodiversity management practice, on privately owned land, in such a way that the private landowner becomes an empowered decision maker.

The Three Stewardship options that the CapeNature Conservation Stewardship Programme are promoting include:
Contract Nature Reserves - Contract Nature Reserves are legally recognized contracts or servitudes on private land to protect biodiversity in the long term.
Biodiversity Agreements - Biodiversity Agreements are negotiated legal agreements between the conservation agency and a landowner for conserving biodiversity in the medium term.
Conservation Areas - Conservation Areas are flexible options with no defined period of commitment (includes conservancies).

The Greater Cedarberg Biodiversity Corridor has secured conservation land in the above categories using the Stewardship methodology. Competent, extension staff have been developed within CapeNature able to carry out extension and negotiate legal contracts. The Biodiversity economy of the areas will benefit from funding being spent in areas with increased conservation land security.

Guidelines for the establishment of a conservancy

Good Contact: Kerry Purnell - Coordinator, C.A.P.E. Stewardship ProgrammePostal address: CapeNature, Private Bag X5014, Stellenbosch, 7599

Tel: + 27 28 314 0185Fax: 086 528 9733

Email: kpurnell@capenature.co.za