Forests near Eden have been damaged by catastrophic wildfires,  with many trees killed; Above left: a market for thinnings and sawmill forest  waste means forests can be managed to a more productive state. Photo: Forests  NSW Image Library; Above right: South East Fibre Exports takes pulpwood and  exports woodchips for paper manufacture. Photo by Tony Karacsonyi/Forests NSW  Image Library

Using  our native timbers in paper manufacture and the export woodchips is often  presented as a preference, rather than a necessity. But as Kellie Lobb writes,  its not a simple choice of woodchip or sawlog, rather a more complex story of  sustainable forest management for high value timber, both now and into the  future.

Eden - its called a nature lovers paradise with bountiful fishing,  boating opportunities, beautiful beaches and magnificent forests. Long gone are  the days of whaling from this far south coast port, replaced by burgeoning  tourism, fishing and timber industries.

The  State forests surrounding Eden cover an area of more than 163 000 hectares. These forests provide employment, recreation  opportunities and timber resources for local use - as well as timber residues  for export markets. These State forests sit alongside more than 255 000 hectares of national park, extending back up the coast to  Bermagui.

Under  a 20-year contract, Forests NSW supplies 23 000 cubic metres of highest quality sawlog each year to Edens Blue  Ridge Hardwoods sawmill. This mill cuts, dries and shapes boards from sawlogs  for flooring, decking, furniture and structural timber used in the building  industry.

Local  species include yellow stringybark (Eucalyptus muellerana), silvertop ash (E.  sieberi), brown barrel (E. fastigata), messmate (E. obliqua), Monkey gum (E.  cypellocarpa), blue-leaved stringybark (E. agglomerata) and white stringybark  (E. globoidea).

Accessing  and harvesting these sawlogs is a challenging task.

A  long record of catastrophic fires over many decades, dating back to at least  1939, has meant that the forests surrounding Eden are not currently in their  most productive state, says Forests NSW Southern regional manager, Ian Barnes.

On  each disturbance, trees were killed over large areas; leaf litter destroyed,  exposing the soil to erosion; wildlife affected; and surviving trees slowed in  growth and so damaged that the timber resource was unfit for commercial use,  until now.

Presently,  around 10 to 15 percent of logs recovered from Edens State forests supply Blue  Ridge Hardwoods sawmill with high quality sawlogs.

A  small percentage of low quality logs is also supplied to Blue Ridge and other  customers, but the remaining 85 percent of the volume coming from the forest is  sold as lowest quality logs, or pulpwood, Ian said.

To  make the grade as a sawlog, the log must be straight and at least 2.4m long,  with a 36cm minimum diameter. There must also be few defects caused by fire,  storm, drought, lightning, collision from adjacent tree parts, insects and gum  veins.

South  East Fibre Exports (SEFE) at Twofold Bay is an export woodchip mill supporting  the local timber industry by providing a market for lower quality logs, smaller  regrowth logs from forest thinnings and sawmill residues.

Having  a market for the defective, low value pulplogs, underpins the economics of the  remaining integrated logging which supplies the high quality sawlogs, Ian  said. In addition, this harvesting will create a high quality productive  forest to grow into the future.

Forest  management is focused on the longer term objectives of regenerating and  protecting the forest for eventual high volumes of sawlog quality timber.

An  essential step along the way is the thinning of the regrowth forest, removing  smaller, less competitive, lower quality trees to allow the larger, better  quality trees with increased access to water, nutrients and light, to grow with  great vigour and good form, he said.

These  smaller trees from the regrowth thinning are sold as pulpwood to a chip mill  destined for the production of pulp for paper products.

SEFE  began exporting hardwood woodchips for paper production in 1970.

The  regrowth thinnings and regrowth harvesting products produce a higher quality  woodchip, referred to as E1 grade, with a superior pulp and more uniform fibres  making it easier and cheaper to process. E2 grade chips are produced from the  integrated operations when higher quality sawlogs are extracted. Both grades of  woodchips are used in varying ratios in the manufacture of fine papers in the  printing and copying industry.

Around  four tonnes of woodchip are used to make one tonne of paper.

SEFE  public affairs manager, Vince Phillips, outlines SEFEs successes working in  partnership with Forests NSW, Vic Forests and many sawmills from the southern  region of NSW.

In  early 2010 SEFE is expected to reach A$2 billion in total export revenue. Since  2008, Forests NSW radiata pine plantations have also contributed to an  expansion of our export earnings in softwood woodchips.

In  40 years we have made 730 individual shipments from Eden, with an average 42 000 tonnes of woodchips per shipment.

Our  future is bright. I see no reason why SEFE production cannot run for another 40  years, given the area of regrowth and plantation resources becoming more and  more available.

We  are also working on ways to reduce operating costs by introducing plans to use  our own wood waste to generate renewable energy, reducing our reliance on  coal-fired power, Vince said.

We  currently produce between 20 000 and 25 000 tonnes of wood waste per year. Around 50 000 tonnes per year would provide enough power to supply the plant  with enough electricity for its operations, as well as for the small township  of Eden.

This article appears in the Spring/Summer 2009 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.