DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESERVE

Mountainlands Nature Reserve is a cooperative reserve which became a reality through the vision of the founding members and the completion of a game-fence around its perimeter during 2001. This consolidated approximately 18 000 ha of State, community-owned and privately held land into a single reserve. The model holds all the elements of a true Community, Public, Private Sector Partnership and is a pioneering concept for conservation in South Africa.

One of the principal strengths of the reserve is the increased ecological and economic viability achieved through the consolidation of the different properties into a single entity. At the same time, one of the principal challenges was the requirement to integrate different aims, priorities and philosophies held by the respective owners into a single management and financial model. Thus, once agreement was reached about the land to be included and institutional arrangements were in place, an integrated development plan was compiled for the development of the reserve. The integrated development plan, reserve management plans and individual facility development plans are aligned to guide all aspects of development, reserve establishment and management functions through an adaptive management approach. All of these mechanisms are designed to fulfil the vision and objectives of the reserve through a set of Guiding Principles.

The vision is to ensure financially sustainable conservation of the Mountainlands Nature Reserve through cooperation for the benefit of Members, stakeholders and the public at large.

The objectives for the Mountainlands Nature Reserve are:

• To create a single, viable nature reserve with associated wildlife;
• To conserve its rich biodiversity and geological heritage and maintain (or where required restore) ecological functions and processes;
• To strive towards financial independence of the reserve through income generation that is based on certain common assets;
• To benefit Founding Members and stakeholders through responsible and sustainable resource utilization and development.

The following guiding principles underlie the association of Members:

• Managing the reserve according to acceptable conservation and business principles, based on sustainable resource utilization and development;
• Following a cooperative management approach;
• Ensuring that the development of the reserve capitalizes from and contributes to the regional economic development through synergistic approaches;
• Entrenching individual land owner's rights to tourism development subject to agreed principles;
• Supporting beneficiation, socio-economic upliftment and training of involved communities;
• Making suitable designated portions of the reserve accessible to the public on a controlled and paid for basis.