Government declares new grasslands National Park in Eastern Cape

• A new national park spanning over 10 225 hectares across 18 properties has been officially declared in the Eastern Cape
• The protected area will safeguard underrepresented grassland ecosystems and a critical regional water source
• It marks the first national park established primarily through an inclusive biodiversity stewardship partnership

South Africa's protected environment footprint has expanded following an official government announcement establishing a brand-new national park. Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, David Maynier, declared 18 properties covering more than 10 225 hectares as the Grasslands National Park.

Protecting Vital Grasslands and Water Sources

Situated in the scenic Eastern Cape highlands between Nqanqarhu and Rhodes, the park protects crucial natural environments. According to the official statement published on the SANParks website, the region forms part of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area and secures one of the country's most underrepresented biomes.

Management of the new reserve has been officially assigned to South African National Parks (SANParks). The landmark conservation achievement relies on an innovative biodiversity stewardship model, allowing private landowners to partner with government agencies while maintaining working agricultural land alongside conservation efforts.

Developing conservation footprints in the province

The establishment of the reserve forms part of broader landscape initiatives operating across the province's high-altitude regions. As detailed on the WWF South Africa site, the initiative actively works alongside local landholders to implement sustainable conservation grazing programmes that retain biodiversity while keeping agricultural economies thriving.

In addition to the Grasslands initiative, official environmental efforts in the province include ongoing consolidations like the Mountain Zebra-Camdeboo Protected Environment, which covers over 268 000 hectares across 118 privately owned farms. Managed via a cooperative landowners' association, these collaborative frameworks help rehabilitate priority river catchments and safeguard endangered species in transitional biomes across the region.

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• SANParks celebrated the 100th anniversary of Kruger National Park at Skukuza Rest Camp, where Environment Minister Willie Aucamp unveiled a plaque marking a century of conservation.

Source: Briefly News

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