Editing South East Forests National Park

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = South East Forests National Park
| state                  = nsw
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = Elaeocarpus holopetalus hemiepiphyte Devils Creek Tantawangalo.jpg
| image_upright = 0.9
| caption                = [[Black olive berry]] on a [[soft tree fern]] at Devil's Creek, South East Forest NP
| image_alt              = 
| coordinates            = {{coord|36|59|14|S|149|28|32|E|display=inline,title}}
| force_national_map     = 
| relief                 = yes
| pushpin_map_caption    = 
| pushpin_label_position = top
| map_alt                = 
| nearest_town_or_city   = {{NSWcity|Merimbula}}
| area                   = 1151.77
| area_footnotes         = 
| established            = {{start date|1997|1|1|df=y}}
| established_footnotes  = 
| visitation_num         = 
| visitation_year        = 
| visitation_footnotes   = 
| managing_authorities   = National Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales)
| url                    = https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/south-east-forest-national-park
}}
The '''South East Forests National Park''' is a [[national park]] located in between the [[Monaro (New South Wales)|Monaro]] and [[South Coast (New South Wales)|South Coast]] regions of New South Wales, Australia. The {{convert|115177|ha|acre|adj=on}} national park is situated {{convert|378|km}} southwest of Sydney.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHome.aspx?id=N0111|title=South East Forests National Park|department=Office of Environment & Heritage|publisher=Government of New South Wales|access-date=11 August 2014}}</ref> It features high quality old growth [[eucalyptus]] forest and remnant patches of [[temperate rainforest]].

==History==
The park was created in 1997 by the amalgamation of Genoa, Tantawangalo, Bemboka, Yowaka and Coolangubra National Parks, all of which had been gazetted in 1994. Genoa National Park in turn was the result of the amalgamation of Nalbaugh and Nungatta National Parks, which had been established in 1972 and 1973 respectively.<ref name=envhx>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkHeritage.aspx?id=N0111|access-date=13 May 2011 |department=Office of Environment & Heritage website|publisher= NSW Government|title=South East Forests National Park: Culture and History}}</ref>

Until 1968, much of the inland southeastern corner of New South Wales was rugged forest terrain known as the Wallagaraugh Wilderness, and was vacant crown land. At the time, a scientific committee appointed by the New South Wales state government recommended the area of around {{convert|100000|ha|acre}} be protected as a national park. However, the Japanese company Harris-Daishowa sought to log the area for woodchips, and most of the land was categorised as [[state forest]], with only Nalbaugh and Nungatta National Parks declared in what is now South East Forests National Park. Nearby, [[Mount Imlay National Park|Mount Imlay]] and [[Beowa National Park]] were gazetted.<ref name=wright235>{{cite book|last=Wright|first=Peter|title=National Parks of Southern NSW|publisher=Bridge Printery|location=Rosebery, NSW|year=1996|isbn=0-9587590-1-4|page=235}}</ref>

Logging began in October 1969,<ref name="hansard92">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA19920903003|title=SOUTH EAST FORESTS PROTECTION BILL|author=Moore, Clover|author-link=Clover Moore|date=3 September 1992|department=Parliament of New South Wales: Hansard and Papers|publisher=State Government of New South Wales|access-date=15 May 2011|location=Sydney, New South Wales}}</ref> and continued for 25 years despite increasing opposition.<ref name=wright235/> The [[Barrie Unsworth|Unsworth]] Labor State government had proposed an {{convert|80000|ha|acre|adj=on}} park as a reelection promise in the 1988 state election, but was not reelected. Later, under the [[John Fahey (politician)|Fahey]] government,<ref name=wright235/> the Genoa, Tantawangalo, Bemboka Yowaka and Coolangubra national parks came into existence in 1994.<ref name=envhx/>

Combined with the adjoining [[Coopracambra National Park]] located in [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]] across the [[Black-Allan Line]], the South East Forests National Park forms one of the largest contiguous areas of high quality wilderness in south-eastern Australia that spans from {{NSWcity|Bombala}} in New South Wales to the town of {{VICcity|Cann River}} in Victoria.<ref name=mgmntplan>{{cite web|url=http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/313260/Coopracambra-National-Park-Management-Plan.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111216035457/http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/313260/Coopracambra-National-Park-Management-Plan.pdf |archive-date=2011-12-16 |url-status=live|pages=2, 9|publisher=[[Parks Victoria]]|title=Coopracambra National Park: Management Plan|date=August 1998|access-date=11 August 2014|isbn=0-7306-6258-6 }}</ref>

==Environment==
The region is known for its variety of [[eucalypt]] species,<ref name=wright235/> and wet [[sclerophyll]] (eucalypt) forests cover 42% of the park.<ref name=envveg>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkVegetation.aspx?id=N0111|access-date=15 May 2011 |department=Office of Environment & Heritage website|publisher= NSW Government|title=South East Forests National Park: Native vegetation}}</ref> Temperate rainforest is found in sheltered areas, and subalpine bogs at high elevations.<ref name=envveg/>

A great variety of animals are found within the park boundaries, including threatened species such as the [[smoky mouse]] (''Pseudomys fumeus''), and other species which are vulnerable in New South Wales such as the [[olive whistler]] (''[[Pachycephala olivacea]]'').<ref name=envan>{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkWildlife.aspx?id=N0111|access-date=13 May 2011 |department=Office of Environment & Heritage website|publisher= NSW Government|title=South East Forests National Park: Native animals}}</ref> The park forms part of the [[Ulladulla to Merimbula Important Bird Area]], identified as such by [[BirdLife International]] because of its importance for [[swift parrot]]s.<ref>BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Ulladulla to Merimbula. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2012-01-02.</ref>

== Name ==
[[File:South East Forests National Park signage.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of an official sign for the national park at one of its road boundaries using the pluralised word, "forests".|Official signage with the word "Forests".]]
The legal name of the park is "South East Forest National Park", as prescribed in the Act of the New South Wales Parliament establishing the park.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1996-131#sec.8 |title=Forestry Revocation and National Park Reservation Act 1996 |publisher=Government of New South Wales |access-date=16 December 2021 |department=NSW Legislation}}</ref> Common usage typically pluralises "Forests", which is used in official signage for the Park.

==See also==
* [[Protected areas of New South Wales]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Wikivoyage inline|SE Forest National Park|South East Forest National Park}}
* {{Commons category-inline|South East Forests National Park}}

{{National Parks of New South Wales}}
{{Portal bar|Environment|New South Wales}}

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[[Category:National parks of New South Wales]]
[[Category:South Coast (New South Wales)]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1997]]
[[Category:1997 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of New South Wales]]