From the Chief Executive
From the Winter 2006 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Alastair Howard, Acting Chief Executive
The management of the public forest estate in New South Wales has many facets – only some of which we are able to touch upon in each issue of Bush Telegraph.
In this edition, we focus on Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management (ESFM) Plans that are the result of more than a decade of scientific research and community consultation. The plans firmly commit Forests NSW to the management of forests for the many values they provide.
ESFM Plans are a key step in the development of the organisation’s new environmental management system and obtaining certification for our forest management activities.
Our commitment to building and maintaining Forests NSW road network underpins the economic contribution of both State forests and the timber industry to regional communities. With an annual budget of more than $15 million, these roads are often a vital part of regional infrastructure.
This is the first issue of Bush Telegraph since the departure of former chief executive Peter Duncan to take up a new role in the NSW Premiers Department. Peter’s time as CEO was marked by strong commercial performance and the first trade of carbon sequestered in forests. His contribution, particularly in the area of employee safety and the development of the environmental management system, is acknowledged and appreciated.
While the CEO may have changed, there is no change in the organisation’s focus and commitment to the strategies that have been developing over recent years. This has been reinforced in a personal letter from the Commissioner for Forests, Barry Buffier, to our key stakeholders.
I, too, am personally committed to ensuring service levels are maintained and improved and welcome all opportunities to communicate with customers, contractors and all the people that benefit from our State forests.
