A case study of cooperation: Using fire for good in the Kleinswartberg

The Kleinswartberg Conservancy has become a test case for cooperation, by using fire as a management tool.

The goal? To bring partners from the public and private sectors together, to improve this landscape, both for people and for nature.

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This conservancy is situated just outside the town of Caledon, and it includes the ecologically important Kleinswartberg. The mountain is home to incredible biodiversity, including the last populations of the Critically Endangered Rough Moss Frog.

Despite this, the Kleinswartberg has become increasingly degraded – with large stands of pine and hakea trees not only invading the fynbos, and threatening frog populations, but also becoming a major wildfire risk. So much so that the mountain has burnt three times within an interval of less than 12 years – which has been devastating for the fynbos habitat. What’s more, because of the alien plant infestations, it has proven impossible to stop these wildfires once they start. As a result, the fires have burnt the entire mountainside – impacting on livelihoods and biodiversity, and threatening lives and infrastructure, while driving further densification of pine and hakea invasions.

Something needed to be done.

Enter a team of landowners, conservationists, fire fighters and government officials, who together developed and implemented a restoration plan – by integrating fire and invasive alien plant management.

The negotiations to develop and implement the plan started back in 2017. And it took four years before the first controlled burn could be executed in 2021.

Who supported this innovative plan?

The Kleinswartberg Conservancy took the lead, with financial, planning and implementation support from the Fynbos Trust (which contributed more than 10% of the total project budget). The Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association (goFPA) were key in planning and implementing the controlled burns, with on-the-ground support from Overberg Fire Services via the Overberg District Municipality.

With concerns regarding the risks to the population of Rough Moss Frogs, CapeNature also became involved, with funding and monitoring support provided by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (this non-profit organisation provided around 8% of the total project budget) and Bionerds. The Western Cape Department of Agriculture: LandCare division was essential in providing a grant for alien plant clearing including firebreaks – and very importantly to clear the blocks of invasive alien plants that germinated after the fire in 2022, 2023 and 2024. In fact, they have provided 76% of the total project budget. And Overberg Agri also provided financial support to the programme.

The steps:

Strategic firebreaks had to be established before any burn could take place. This would provide safe points from which to prevent any fires starting outside of the proposed burn area, and from which to combat wildfires. The first firebreak involved felling a dense stand of pine trees, and burning a 5km stretch to remove flammable material. More firebreaks were established in autumn 2021 around the proposed blocks that were selected to burn.

Block D was burnt in June 2021. While it didn’t kill all the standing pine trees, it did create a safe burn perimeter. In March 2022, Block G was also burnt – in a successful fire that effectively removed massive stands of invasive alien plants, while bringing about the rejuvenation of mountain fynbos. Block C – the home of a large proportion of the Rough Moss Frog population– was especially important. Planning took place throughout 2021, and the burn took place in March 2022.

And just take a look at the results.

An area that was once infested with pine trees has now been transformed into pristine Rough Moss Frog habitat. This landscape is now safer in terms of wildfires – thereby benefiting people and nature. While there is some regeneration from adult cone-bearing pines, the area is also more accessible for focused follow up.

The cost comparison is also favourable.

While it would have cost the landowners and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture: LandCare division teams more than R12 000 per hectare to clear the area using traditional methods, the cost of the fire amounted to R1 413 per hectare.