It is not every organisation that can boast about being ahead of the game, but Forests NSW, a Government Trading Enterprise, is doing just that.

The tenth Seeing Report, released in Decem ber 2007, chronicles Forests NSW’s performance in four key areas of operation: social, environmental, economic and sustainability.

“As the New South Wales Government forest steward, Forests NSW is committed to operating the business and managing forests in a way that is environmentally sensitive, socially beneficial and economically viable,” said the compiler of the report, certification officer Morgan Roche.

“In achieving this goal Forests NSW not only meets but actually exceeds regulatory requirements.

“This achievement is evidenced through Forests NSW accreditation to the Australian Forestry Standard, internationally recognised under the Program for Endorsement of Forestry Certification Standards.

“Additionally, the accreditation of our Environment Management System to ISO 14001, which uses the four-step continual improvement cycle: plan-do-check-act, means that we now have an effective way of identifying and implementing improvement opportunities over time.”

Milestones of the past year have also included the amalgamation of the former Mid North Coast and Hunter Regions into Central Region, and the former Southern and South East Regions into the Southern Region.

Forests NSW manages just under two million hectares of native forests.

State forests are predominantly coastal eucalypt forest and smaller areas of red gum in the State’s south-west and cypress pine in the State’s central west. Of this area, approximately 2.9 percent is harvested annually to supply timber to industry and the community.

In addition, Forests NSW manage approximately half a million hectares of forest plantations, which incorporates both softwood and hardwood areas.

The majority of the softwood plantation estate is comprised of radiata pine plantations in the highlands to the west of the Great Dividing Range and the hardwood areas consist of eucalypt plantations, predominantly located on the NSW north coast.

About nine percent of total forests in NSW are managed as multiple use forests (allowing for harvest), with more than 16 percent being managed as nature conservation reserves, within State forests. The remaining forests are managed as leasehold and private tenures.

“The New South Wales Government is currently the third largest plantation owner in Australia, with a significant amount of timber sourced from the plantation estate managed by Forests NSW,” Morgan said.

“Most of the consumer demand for sawn timber and panel board products in NSW is met from our own multiple use forests.

“Meeting domestic demand for timber from local sources is viewed by Forests NSW as a positive contribution to the sustainability of the world’s forests, achieved through best practice forest management and regulation in NSW.

“These harvested and regrowing forests also assist with the challenge of climate change by acting as carbon sinks.”

Forests NSW recreation and tourism policy and strategy document; Living, working, playing... forests 2005-2009 was developed following a thorough consultative process.

It continues to provide a successful framework for recreation, sport, tourism and training within State forests.

“Consistent with a need for continued improvement, Forests NSW has developed an improved system to identify new stakeholders and update existing stakeholder information,” Morgan said.

“This system enables efficient and systematic engagement with stakeholders in a range of forest management issues at various levels, such as prescribed burns.

“Forests NSW regional offices continue to be the first point of contact for stakeholders’ concerns, with an estimated 1000 enquiries handled. It is these regional offices that dealt with the bulk of the 198 complaints received, all but one of which were successfully resolved.”

The Githabul People of north-eastern NSW gained recognition of their native title rights in NSW with the registration of their indigenous land use agreement.

The agreement with the NSW Government, including Forests NSW, relates to over 11000 hectares of national parks and State forests in the Kyogle, Woodenbong and Tenterfield area.

“This means that the Githabul People will be consulted on the management of 13 State forests, including agreement on how some of the native title rights will be exercised, such as restrictions on hunting,” Morgan said.

Forests NSW continues to deliver formal education programs to teachers and pupils, with a total expenditure on public education of $4.2 million in 2006-07.

“This program aims to show the wonders of State forests and to explain ecologically sustainable forest management, with 5853 school pupils participating in activities held in Cumberland and Strickland State Forests,” Morgan said.

Staff working in softwood plantations around Bombala continued to set the example of working safely while maintaining a strong commercial focus. The region has not recorded any lost time due to accidents for the past four years, totalling 50000 hours.

State forests offer the public a wide range of opportunities for recreation, from camping to rogaining (long distance cross-country navigation).

To help the public enjoy State forests, a revised edition of the popular Best Bush Map, a guide to recreational opportunities on all public lands in NSW, was published this year jointly by Forests NSW, other land management agencies and Tourism NSW.

“It is only when you see a list of achievements published at one time, such as in the Seeing Report, that you realise what an enormous amount is achieved in the space of a year by what is a reasonably small agency,” Morgan said.

The Seeing Report can be viewed and downloaded from the website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests or for a hardcopy contact our Forests NSW Information Centre on Ph: 1300 655 687 or 02 9871 3377.

This article appears in the Autumn 2008 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.