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Appendix 3

Prasophyllum sp. aff. frenchii 2
Maroon Leek-orchid

Conservation status:

EPBC Act 1999: E

IUCN (2000): E (preliminary assessment)

NRE (2000): Not listed

Distribution:

Endemic to Victoria - widespread across south-eastern Victoria between Clyde and Mallacoota. Existing records and current understanding of its taxonomy indicate that P. frenchii was formerly more widespread south-east of Melbourne in the Officer and Bairnsdale areas to Mallacoota in far East Gippsland.

Many records attributed to this species are incorrect determinations of similar taxa. Specific details of population localities (including GPS data) are held on DSE internal files.

Abundance:

Approximately 250-750 plants known in the wild, in 5 main populations. Likely to have formerly numbered many thousands of plants in grasslands, grassy woodlands and heathlands in Gippsland and south-eastern Victoria, but now likely to be extinct east of Wilsons Promontory.

Habitat:

Occurs in grassland or grassy woodland. Some sites were managed by frequent fire up until the late 1970s but are now generally degraded. Soils are sandy, or black clay loams, generally damp, but well drained, although some sites are seasonally waterlogged. Critical habitat has not been determined, but likely to require open conditions to promote flowering and recruitment, and adequate soil moisture.

Reservation status:

Reserved at Wilsons Promontory National Park (Vic).

Management:

Parks Victoria (Victoria East Region: Tidal River, Sale); DSE-BNR PP: Box Hill, DSE-BNR SE: Yarram); Freight Australia; Parkside Airfield Committee.

Recovery objectives:

Maintain and/or increase existing population sizes; protect and manage habitat.

Recovery actions undertaken:

• Searches along the Melbourne to Bairnsdale rail reserve (Paget 1998; Bairnsdale and District Field Naturalists Club).
• Monitoring at Clyde by Holistic Ecology/DSE in 1998.
• Ecological burn at Clyde in 1999.
• Negotiations initiated in relation to site management with Parkside Airfield Committee.
• Ecological burning conducted regularly at Golden Beach.
• All sites were visited during recovery plan preparation.

Issues specific to recovery:

• P. frenchii has not been seen at Wilsons Promontory National Park in recent years. The site is severely degraded and urgent habitat management is required to control overgrazing and restore an appropriate fire regime.
• A negotiated management agreement will be put in place between DSE and Parkside Aerodrome Committee to ensure that timing of fuel reduction measures is in accordance with flowering and fruit development, and to obtain baseline population information.
• A Public Authority Management Agreement will be negotiated by DSE to ensure appropriate management of the population at Clyde and Packenham and to prevent accidental damage to plants.

Overall recovery strategy:

Risk management will include negotiated agreements with management authorities and landowners to protect populations from grazing and accidental damage where required, and implement appropriate fire regimes at all sites to promote flowering and recruitment, particularly in parks and reserves. Baseline information is urgently required. Seed will be collected and tested for viability and stored for use if required. Recovery will be jointly managed by DSE, PV, EH, and Parkside Airfield Committee. Involvement from volunteers will be encouraged.

Consultation:

Parks Victoria (Victoria East Region: Tidal River, Sale, Bairnsdale); DSE-BNR PP; DSE-BNR SE (Box Hill, Yarram); Parkside Airfield Committee.