Operational plan Moehau aerial 2012 for release.pdf

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Operational plan Moehau aerial 2012 - DOCDM-858584
Possum and Rat operations commenced in the 1600 hec Stony bay Rat block on the
1/8/ 2012 with Feracol Cholicalciferol paste chosen because it targets both Possum
and Rat populations, The pre Possum RTC was 6%, Rat pre-monitoring was 32%
SMI. Possum control was successful with a 0% post-RTC. Rat control was
unsuccessful with a 12% post-SMI. Further Rat control was not initiated with
anticoagulant due to budget restraints and human resources.

Ground based Possum control commenced in Port Jackson on the 8/10/12 with
cyanide paste operations on the coastal reserve between Port Jackson and Fletchers
bay, Farm Park leased land at Port Jackson and on the privately owned Ward farm at
Port Jackson. Work in these blocks was done by Doc staff and contractors,
approximately 1000 Possums were killed in these blocks.
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This work coincided with Cholicalciferol pellets being laid in the Homebush (Doc
land 60hec) and Ward Triangle (Alexander Ward land 80hec), both these blocks are in
Port Jackson surrounded by farmland. Work in these blocks was done by Doc staff
and contractors. Pre-monitoring in these two blocks was 16.5% RTC, Post monitoring
was 3.3%.

To support this Possum trappers from Wanganui keen to recover fur have been issued
a permit to trap in the lower Fantail bay catchment through Goat bay to the lower Pahi
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catchment, to compliment this Alexander and Anthea Ward have granted them
permission to trap on all of their Farm land from Fletchers bay to Ohinewai. Since the
end of November 2012 the trappers have trapped over 2000 possums in the Fantail
bay, Goat bay and Port Jackson areas.

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Aerial control will be applied to 4500 hec for Possums and Rats (includes 1600 hec
Rat block at Stony bay).
Treatment will commence in May/June 2013 due to less food being available for the
the
targeted pests. Pest’s numbers will be reduced to target by June 30th 2013.
Rats and Possums impact on the rare ecological values on Moehau.
Possum browse on western Moehau has reached a critical level, Kohekohe mortality
is almost 50% over 10 years at a FBI plot in Urarima.

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Buffer control will commence in May 2013 in 80 hec of the Tehope catchment,
because this area has no boundary fence it will be treated with cyanide to reduce the
risk of cattle consuming pre-feed and then 1080 toxin.
100 hec of private land on the southern boundary with Urarima will be treated with
cyanide to increase the control area around the monitored Kohekohe plots in the
Urarima.
17 hec of Taylor’s creek farm boundary (Doc farm park lease) and 1 hec of northern
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Poley bay (Doc farm park lease) will also be treated with cyanide to compliment the
aerial work.
This work will be conducted by contractors and Doc staff.

To continue the protection and enhancement of the mountains native birds rats will
continue to be maintained at less than 5% in the Rat block post 1080 operation.

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Operational plan Moehau aerial 2012 - DOCDM-858584

Site description

Conservation values

Moehau requires ongoing protection for nationally threatened and regionally rear
plant species, Within Moehau,s forest can be found internationally significant
ecological values including locally endemic Weta and stag beetles, Archey and
Hochstetters frog, Coromandel striped Gecko, Pateke (Brown Teal), Kaka, Kakariki
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(parakeets), Brown Kiwi, Long tailed cuckoo, North island Robin. Flora values
include Pittosporum virgatum, Celmisia adamsii, C.incana, Halls totara.
Moehau is the northern limit for several species.
The Moehau ecological area is the highest ranked forested habitat in the Waikato
conservancy for biodiversity by the department of Conservation.

Land form values include the nationally unique Paritu pluton, a geographical feature
of volcanic origin.
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Moehau mountain is sacred to local iwi, the summit is the burial place of the great Te
Arawa chief Tamatekapua who arrived in New Zealand with the first Polynesian
navigators.
The prow of his canoe is said to have been laid with him on Moehau.
There are numerous Pa sites and middens on the coastal he
Official adlands and beaches
surrounding Moehau, during the musket wars local tribes fought on these beaches and
headlands, Many of these sites are now Wahi Tapu
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Threats

Animal pest species present in the reserve include ship rat, norway rat, stoat, weasel,
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possum, cat, hedgehog, cows and mouse. The catch trap results are (Dec 2011) 90.3
possums per 100 trap nights.
Introduced pests are having major impacts on Moehau mountains flora and fauna.

Possums as well as preying on fauna are causing mortality of canopy trees like
Kohekohe and Rata though defoliation.
Possums have been managed since 1989 with trapping starting in port Jackson and
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then moving southward. The first toxin used between 1995 and 2000 was
brodifacoum in bait stations set out on a grid approximately 150m apart. Doc
discontinued the use of brodifacoum in 2000 and possums have been controlled
around parts of Moehau using other toxins approximately every 4 years.

Ship rats predate heavily on Weta, beetles, spiders, moths, stick insects, cicadas,
native snails and frogs, slugs, and lizards. Seasonal food includes bird eggs and
chicks, all of the forests bird eggs are predated on up to 61mm long.
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Operational plan Moehau aerial 2012 - DOCDM-858584
Rat numbers increased on Moehau once Mustelid trapping was initiated in 1995, rat
control begun with trapping using victor traps in northern stony bay in 2002 and 2003
(Murphy 2004) followed by Diphacinone in bait stations laid on a grid approx 75m
apart in 2004. Since then low rat numbers have been maintained at stony bay using a
75m grid system over 1500 hec using toxins including 1080.

Mustelid especially stoats are affecting kiwi through chick predation., in 2000 a
trapping grid was set up on Moehau covering approx 1800hec, 1600 traps are laid
200m apart on selected ridges, roads etc. Since trapping was introduced to Moehau
kiwi chick survival has averaged 77% of all chicks produced by tagged Kiwis over the
years 2000 to 2005.(De Monchy2005).

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Goats were first controlled by government hunters on Moehau in 1956 but sustained
control at regular intervals did not occur until 1981 with their final removal occurring
in 2005, since then only a couple of goats have been shot and their presence or how
they got there was unknown, but most likely from neighbouring farms.

Cattle from neighbouring farms have historically grazed the accessible parts of
Moehau, In the last 10 years boundary fences have been erected around most of the
mountain except in the south west corner made up of the Tehope Ongohi and Urarima
catchments. Grazing is still occurring in parts of these areas and a completed
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boundary fence around Moehau will be a longer term goal.

Cats are controlled around Moehau to protect Pateke from predation, 43 traps have
been maintained since April 2011 with 43 cats having been trapped to date.

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Pigs are impacting on flora and possibly kiwi nests, Rats that share the same home
territory as pigs appear to interact with their environment differently to those living
without them. Low rat numbers has been harder to achieve where the habitat is
the
shared.
A seasonal ballot has been the control method for pigs in recent years.
Pig traps are now being set up to help control numbers in Stony bay.

Considerable forest modification has occurred in the last 100 years, goats, possums
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and cattle have depleted many species on the forest floor and in the canopy.
Accessible areas of the mountain were logged or cleared for farmland also in this
period, parts of the land cleared for farming is now regenerating.

Where?
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Operational plan Moehau aerial 2012 - DOCDM-858584
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Operational plan Moehau aerial 2012 - DOCDM-858584

What?

Method

Ground based Possum and Rat control 2012 Operational plan DM-1032436
Communication plan DM-1030227
Facts pack DM-1035739

Ground based Possum control 2012 Operational plan DM-1037753
Communication plan DM-1046339
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Facts pack DM-1088347

Aerial application of 1080 cereal pellets to be applied to 4500 hec of Moehau
including ground based buffer control using Cyanide paste over 198 hec. Operations
due to start May/June 2013.
Communication plan DM-1111509
Facts pack DM-1093751
Press Release Hauraki Herald 9/11/2012
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Timing

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Aerial operation planned start date and buffer control is the 1st May 2013.

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Method detail

Brand name of pesticide
0.15% 1080 Pellets

Name of pesticide
Sodium fluoroacetate
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Type of bait
(1080)
Toxic loading
Cereal pel et Wanganui
#7
1.5 g/kg

Bait Details
Pre-feed
Toxic
Bait type
Cereal Pel et
Cereal Pel et
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Lure/mask
Orange
Orange
Lure/mask
0.3%
0.3% Double lure
Dye
None
Green
No. of
Pre-feed  Toxic  12 gm (20mm)
12 gm (20mm)
drops

1
1

Time
5 days

between  minimum
6

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Operational plan Moehau aerial 2012 - DOCDM-858584

Pesticide Use 89
Target Pest
Cyanide 500g/kg paste in
Possums
bait stations
Brand Name of pesticide
Cynara50 Cyanide paste
Lure/mask (& %)
N/A
Type of pre-feed (lure/dye)
Aniseed
Number of pre-feeds (if any) 2
Toxic bait-number fil s
1
Describe pattern of bait
Grid
stations
Bait station spacing
30-40 metres
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Bait station type
Possum pots
Other details about this
Possum pots set on No. 8
method
wire when needed.

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Operational plan Moehau aerial 2012 - DOCDM-858584
o  Tender documents - docdm -1119260
o  Communication plan - docdm-858584
o  AEE or DOC application – AEE=docdm-1143701
o  Consents- docdm-1143681
o  HSE plan
o  Safety briefing
o  Emergency Response Plan for transport
o  Emergency Response Plan for storage
o  Contracts- docdm -1179841
o  Checklist of info required for operational report
o  Warning sign register - docdm -1143716
o  Safety briefing
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o  Costings spreadsheet

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