Blueprints for forest sustainable management

Interested stakeholders across NSW have the opportunity to comment on new blueprints for ecologically sustainable management of the State’s planted softwood forests over the next six weeks.

Forests NSW has released draft Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management plans for the coming five years for plantation forests in its Hume (South West Slopes), Monaro, Macquarie (Central West) and Northern (Northern Tablelands) forest management regions.

The draft management plans reflect agreed objectives and policies for the future of Australia’s public and private forests outlined in the National Forest Policy Statement.

The National Forest Policy Statement recognises that plantations provide a wide range of environmental benefits to the community, and that their management should be based on sustainable management principles.

The plans set out the broad strategies, performance indicators and measurable outcomes for planted forest management in the region over the next five years.

They include the strategies that Forests NSW will put into practice to achieve objectives in key areas of forest management through its Environmental Management System and also to meet the requirements of the Australian Forestry Certification Scheme.

Key areas include natural heritage, Aboriginal cultural heritage, non-Aboriginal cultural heritage, protected areas, forest health, sustainable timber supply, economic development, social development, forestry operations, consultation, monitoring and reporting.

The plans will be reviewed within their five-year lifespan and remain in force until such time as they are replaced.

Forests NSW is primarily accountable for achieving ecological sustainable management on State forests, but to be fully effective it needs to work in conjunction with the community and other relevant agencies.

Stakeholders and the public now have the chance to comment on all or part of the plans and let Forests NSW know their reactions by the end of the display period on 27 August.”

Copies of the plans can be found on the Forests NSW web site www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests, or in hard copy by contacting Forests NSW regional offices.