Hundreds of flatback turtles are gathering at Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park in the Kimberley for their annual nesting activities. Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) officers and Nyangumarta Traditional Owners have been monitoring the area for the last six weeks, recording over 200 nests and 350 ‘false crawls’ in the sample area. False crawls occur when females attempt to nest but return to the water without laying eggs due to disturbance or unsuitable nesting habitat. DPaW community education officer Sara McAllister said Eighty Mile Beach was a significant flatback turtle nesting site. “Flatback turtles only nest in northern Australia and they are endemic to this part of the world. “With the Nyangumarta Traditional Owners, we are currently monitoring turtle tracks on a 6km stretch…

Minister determines Forest Management Plan appeals 56 appeals received from both conservation groups and industry Target completion dates to be added for some management activities Environment Minister Albert Jacob today determined appeals relating to the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) report and recommendations on the proposed Forest Management Plan 2014-2023, one of the final steps before the plan’s implementation in January.   “After considering all the information presented to me, I believe the EPA adequately considered the key environmental factors identified in its assessment of the proposal, and that this assessment was consistent with requirements of the EPA,” Mr Jacob said.   Fifty-six appeals were received in response to the EPA’s report on the plan, covering a wide range of issues from both conservation and industry…