Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve are special places for many Canberrans.
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Having world-class nature reserves right on our doorstep is part of the appeal of living in the bush capital.
But the parks are not just beloved natural playgrounds. They are ecological treasures as well.
Namadgi and Tidbinbilla are home to more than 700 species of plants, 222 species of vertebrate animals, 15 threatened species and more than 40 rare or uncommon species.
This makes the devastation inflicted by the Orroral Valley fire, from which the park may never fully recover, all the more difficult to bear.
More than 80 per cent of Namadgi was destroyed in the fire, while 22 per cent of Tidbinbilla burnt as well.
Once the fires were quenched, the parks were hit with floods that washed a torrent of sediment into our waterways, putting threatened species further at risk.
This is why it was welcome news that the ACT government this week announced it had moved into the next phase of bushfire recovery.
The territory government moved swiftly in the aftermath of the fires to assess and respond to immediate ecological threats after the fires.
It commissioned population surveys for montane spiny crayfish and greater gliders.
This is the same government which happily allocated $1 million for a pop-up "experiment" in Haig Park last year.
It began restoration works on the alpine bogs and fens which make Canberra's drinking water so pristine.
The task ahead is monumental. Native plants which survived the fire incursion are now at risk from weed invasions.
With vegetation cover gone, native fauna have been left vulnerable to predation from feral cats and foxes, and forced to compete for scarce resources with feral deer and pigs.
This makes it all the more perplexing why such a paltry amount of money has been allocated to this next important phase of restoration.
The government will spend $1.37 million on this phase of recovery.
While this is on top of the $600,000 already allocated to repair fencing and employ more park rangers, this is the same government which happily allocated $1 million for a pop-up "experiment" in Haig Park last year.
That installation was only slated to run for six months. Namadgi and Tidbinbilla are natural treasures which must be guarded for future generations of Canberrans to enjoy.
While this is only the first phase of recovery, the sooner threats such as feral animals are dealt with the better.
When it comes to preserving and protecting these areas, surely no price is too high.
