The Ngaanyatjarra Lands cover a total area of 25 million hectares — of which 9.8 million hectares is an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). Larger than Tasmania, the IPA encompasses the entire Western Australian section of the Central Ranges Bioregion, which until its dedication in August 2002 was unprotected by any other reserve system.
The high levels of biological diversity that exist on these lands are a direct result of traditional land management practices. The dedication of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands IPA articulates this relationship between culture and land, and Traditional Owners' desire to strengthen and maintain Traditional Law and practice.
Four teams of Aboriginal rangers, consisting of the Blackstone, Warakurna and Warburton Men and Warburton Women Rangers, help meet the region's environmental challenges. The rangers provide essential services in the remote region, including surveys and management of threatened species such as the black-footed rock-wallaby, great desert skink and bilby.
Other activities include fire management, cleaning and maintaining rock holes to provide water for a range of native fauna, managing the impact of feral animals such as camels, supporting traditional ecological knowledge and cultural activities and continuing to develop tourist management strategies.
