Thinning white cyprus for the future
From the Autumn 2008 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Forests NSW is gearing up to ensure households around New South Wales have access to the highly regarded white cypress timber 40 years down the track.
That will be about the time that the cypress being thinned over the next year will be ready for milling, as this hardy and termite resistant species is extremely slow growing.
“Western Region of Forests NSW manages about 530000 hectares of white cypress pine forests throughout the western slopes and plains of NSW in accordance with the principles of Ecological Sustainable Forest Management,” said Forests NSW Western Region operations and protection manger, Don Nicholson.
“An essential element of the management of productive white cypress forests includes thinning of the dense natural white cypress regeneration, to permit growth of trees and enhance forest biodiversity.
“If it is not thinned the cypress regeneration remains very small and dense, of little use for timber production and too dense for natural wildlife habitat.”
Forests NSW has engaged contractors to participate in a mechanical ‘non-commercial thinning’ of cypress regeneration using chopper rollers towed by tractors in strips to remove about 40 per cent of the thick cypress regeneration.
Larger trees of all species are avoided and retained.
The ‘bays’ of thick regeneration left standing will be thinned using the traditional method of brushcutting to a six metre by six metre spacing.
“This year Western Region expects to treat about 4000 hectares of white cypress pine forest in Baradine, Dubbo, and Forbes forestry centres,” Don said.
The first phase of the thinning operation is expected to be finished by June. The overall program is expected to continue for a further two years.
Howard Spencer - Public Affairs & Media
