Just  where forests in New South Wales stand in comparison with the rest of the world  is now easier to judge with the release of the latest Environmentally  Sustainable Forest Management Plans by Forests NSW. Howard Spencer reports.

Forests NSW latest  Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management (ESFM) Plans include native forests  of the organisation’s Western region and the Riverina, and the planted  forests of the South West Slopes, Monaro, Central West and Northern Tablelands  regions, and complete the set of plans for NSW.

“These plans form part of our reporting  process not only to the NSW Government, but also federally and to the rest of  the world,” said the compiler of the plans, forester Heath Frewin.

“They articulate our commitment to  continue to manage State forests in an ecologically sustainable manner and to  show everyone how we are doing this.”

The genesis of the plans goes back to  1992, when the Rio Earth Summit (or United Nations Conference on Environment  and Development) called upon all nations to ensure sustainable development, including the management  of all types of forests.

The Montréal Process Working Group, which evolved among non-European  countries following the subsequent International Seminar of Experts on  Sustainable Development of Boreal and Temperate Forests in Montréal staged in  1993, says forests are home to 70 per cent of the world’s terrestrial animals  and plants, providing the essential components of food, clothing and shelter.

“Forests are renewable resources and  rich, resilient ecosystems which, when managed sustainably, can provide society  with essential goods and services – timber, medicines, food, water and jobs –  and conserve biodiversity for generations to come,” the group says.

The working group was formed to develop  and implement internationally agreed criteria and indicators for the  conservation and sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests. These  have come to be known as the Montréal Criteria and  Indicators (see box right).

The member countries are Argentina,  Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, New  Zealand, Russian Federation, United States of America and Uruguay and represent  about 90 per cent of the world’s temperate and boreal forests in the  northern and southern hemispheres. This amounts to 60 per cent of all of the  forests of the world.

But back to Forests NSW ESFM Plans, our  part in measuring and reporting on the indicators that form this worldwide  process.

In releasing the latest plans, Minister  for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, said the state’s planted and native  forests provided a renewable resource for a wide range of consumer products.

“They foster economic and social  development in regional NSW and are an important part of our natural and  cultural heritage,” Mr Macdonald said. “We want to be able to demonstrate that  our State forests operate under world-class management systems.”

The plans contain objectives and  outcomes that can be measured and reported on over time – based on Montréal criteria and indicators.

“These documents communicate exactly  what outcomes we are aiming for in our forest management,” Heath Frewin said.  “These take the international objectives back to NSW and our day-to-day  management.

“Our performance can now be benchmarked  and compared to other forest managers in Australia and elsewhere in the world.” 

For more information or full copies of  ESFM Plans go to www.forest.nsw.gov.au/esfm

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