The implementation of this Recovery Plan will have minimal social and economic impact. Most populations of E. t. marnieae are on private land used mainly for agriculture. However, the area occupied by E. t. marnieae does not exceed 2% of any given landowner’s property and in most cases is less. The remaining rocky habitat occupied by the skink also has very little agricultural value, so E. t. marnieae is an ideal threatened species for landholders to retain and preserve on their properties with no net loss in agricultural productivity, as has been evidenced by the cooperative approach from several landowners involved in conservation efforts for this lizard (Peterson 2006). Given the sympathetic attitudes of many landholders in the region, it has been possible to modify agricultural practices in the small areas occupied by E. t. marnieae such that adverse impacts on the habitat have been mitigated with little, if any, net loss in agricultural productivity. Some areas of public land where the taxon occurs are used for recreation or other community activities, but conservation efforts (e.g. fencing, signage, track closures) will have minimal negative social impact.
There are considerable positive benefits in protecting E. t. marnieae habitats. The protection of these areas will augment intrinsic natural values enjoyed by visitors to such areas. These benefits complement the management aims of reserved land where this subspecies occurs, and visitors to these areas provide economic benefits for the local districts. Involving the community and private landholders in recovery efforts can foster a sense of pride in contributing to conservation programs and sense of ownership/responsibility for a threatened taxon present on their properties. Land acquisition to establish a system of managed reserves is extremely expensive, and may be possible in only a few instances. Conservation of E. t. marnieae must be viewed as a long-term and on-going process, to be achieved largely by sympathetic management of private lands via various agreements and management.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank the following people for their contributions to this Recovery Plan: Gary Backhouse, Chris Banks, Nick Clemann, John Coventry, Steve Donnellan, Philip du Guesclin, Mark Hutchinson, Kim Lowe, Tony Mahoney, Brian Malone, Adrian Moorrees, James Ross and Michael Scroggie. Museum Victoria and the South Australian Museum also provided records of the Corangamite Water Skink.
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