As part of the process for national endorsement of the Western Australian Western Ringtail Possum Recovery Plan, in accordance with the provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the Australian Government Department of the Environment is inviting public comment.
The public comment period closes on 13 February 2015.
If you wish to comment on this plan, please refer to the instructions provided on the Department of the Environment website: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/recovery-plans/comment/draft-western-ringtail-possum
Background
The western ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus occidentalis) is an arboreal leaf-eating herbivorous marsupial endemic to south-western Australia. Since colonial settlement it has undergone a substantial range contraction, with declines in abundance and habitat continuing.
It is listed as threatened fauna under the Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act 1950, and ranked in Western Australia as Endangered under international (IUCN) criteria. It is also listed nationally as Vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
A recovery plan for the western ringtail possum was prepared in 2014 by the Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife. The Department has referred the plan for adoption as a national recovery plan under the EPBC Act.
This recovery plan guides the recovery of the western ringtail possum for the next 10 years. The 10 year goal is to slow the decline in population size, extent and area of occupancy through managing major threatening processes affecting the subpopulations and their habitats, and allowing the persistence of the species in each of the identified key management zones: Swan Coastal Plain, southern forests and south coast.
The long term goals of the recovery program for the western ringtail possum are to ensure that threatening processes do not impact on the ongoing viability of the western ringtail possum population, and hence improve their population status, leading to future removal of the western ringtail possum from threatened species lists.
Source: DPaW Media Statements.