What is the New Leaf Project?
The TLC New Leaf project is an exciting multi-year program to raise funds to permanently protect important areas across Tasmania. The TLC and our supporters have now created two new TLC Permanent Reserves:
- Skullbone Plains in the central highlands, adjoining the Tasmanian World Heritage Area
- Blue Tier in north-east Tasmania, a rare glacial refugium.
The history of the New Leaf project
In June 2010 Gunns announced the sale of their 28,000 hectare native forest estate.
This is the largest property offering in Tasmania to date. In total the properties cost just over 23 million dollars. The initiative is so significant that we have named it the New Leaf project.
A group of Australian environmental philanthropists led by Jan Cameron's Elsie Cameron Foundation and Rob and Sandy Purves Environmental Trusts provided initial gifts to the TLC to make the purchase possible. We need you to be a part of this pivotal project too.
Skullbone Plains
Within the New Leaf landscapes, some of the properties are world heritage quality jewels. Skullbone Plains near Bronte Park is a shining example.
We are very pleased to announce that in March 2012 with the help of over 1000 supporters, Jan Cameron, Rob and Sandy Purves and the federal government's National Reserve System program, we achieved the permanent protection of this outstanding area of ecological significance.
This 1600 ha property of exquisite open valleys, old-growth forests, native grasslands, cushion plants and rare, endangered sphagnum moss beds, provides critical wild habitat for a species of endangered fish, the Clarence galaxias. Sharing a 16 kilometre boundary with the Tasmanian Wilderness Heritage Area and its mosaic of wetlands, lakes and streams, Skullbone Plains is one of the world's most rare and beautiful places.
View the Skullbone Plains DVD here
In March 2012 a team of 16 scientists spent 5 days at Skullbone Plains, as part of the Bush Blitz program to collect and identify the flora and fauna of the reserve. Over 550 species were collected View the story here.
Land management
The management of natural reserves such as Skullbone Plains involves scientificially-based activities such as monitoring, control and eradication of weeds, pests and threats to protect the reserve's biodiversity, which incur ongoing costs.
We are very grateful to the Purves Environmental Fund and the Purryburry Trust for providing multi-year grants to support these activities for the Skullbone Plains Permanent Reserve.
Vast forested landscapes
The land covered in the New Leaf purchase is vast; it ranges from serene, ancient old-growth rainforests in the Blue Tier of the north-east, through sub-alpine forests perched high in the mountains around Ben Lomond, and sweeping landscapes of towering trees, lakes and wild rivers in the central highlands, to stunning lowland forests located close to Launceston and intimate forested valleys in the southern midlands.
The huge properties of the central highlands in particular provide opportunities to manage whole forested landscapes for conservation, encompassing entire watersheds and wild river valleys. The forests in this region contain mosaics of wetlands, rivers and highland grasslands. They are vast habitats for endangered Tasmanian devils and house at least seven active nests of endangered Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles.
Many of the properties have been used for commercial forestry and provide us with an opportunity to restore full, high quality habitat for wildlife over extensive areas.
Blue Tier
In September 2012 with the help of many supporters and Jan Cameron we achieved the permanent protection of this outstanding area of ecological significance.
This wonderful 85 ha property lies on the eastern slopes in the Blue Tier region in north-east Tasmania and provides habitat for rare and threatened species, including the eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus), the spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) and the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii). 
Tasmania's largest endemic stag beetle, the Simson's stag beetle (Hoplogonus simsonii), is a nationally threatened species and is restricted exclusively to this region.
Extending the Blue Tier protected area
The property is integral to Tasmania's Blue Tier, being almost entirely surrounded by formal and informal forest reserves and other covenanted properties. Securing these 85 hectares for conservation extends the protected area to 10,000 hectares.
How are we going to manage a project of this magnitude?
This project is many times greater than any previous campaign of the TLC. However, we have the support and backing of major Australian philanthropists, in particular Jan Cameron and Rob and Sandy Purves.
Jan, Rob and Sandy provided substantial gifts and loans to the TLC to start the fundraising effort and to enable the purchase to proceed while we seek the additional funds needed.
Although Jan, Rob and Sandy are committed to seeing all of this land pass into conservation ownership and management, their resources, like our own, are limited. It is only by combining our resources and by some carefully planned on-selling with covenants of some properties that we can hope to bring enough money together for the financing and ongoing management of all these properties.