Southern Tablelands Farm Forestry Network |
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Private native forestry There is over 1.5 million hectares of existing native forest on private land in the Southern Tablelands and most of it is un-managed. Opportunities for farmers to commercially and sustainably manage their forest exist, but it will take a lot of hard work. Private native forestry is about managing remnant vegetation for commercial and ecologically sustainable purposes. Forming a balance between financial and environmental rewards is the key objective behind modern native forest management practices. Commercial wood harvesting in remnant vegetation does not mean the natural integrity of the forest needs to be destroyed. On the contrary, making strategic patches of disturbance and removing wood is essential in maximising biodiversity over entire forest estates. To be successful at this though, individuals need to informed, skilled and develop an intimate relationship with their forest. Lessons from the past There is hardly any native forest left standing that has not been exploited in some form. In the past, it has been a lack of knowledge, skills and access to profitable markets that has reduced forests to what they are today. Timber cutters were effectively forced to take the best trees and leave the rest. Unfortunately, this means that forest gene pools have lost their tallest and best formed individuals; a loss that cannot be measured. Forest management innovation In essence, new private native forestry practice involves an almost exact reverse of past harvesting techniques. Now we embrace ethic like, “harvest the worst trees and leave the best to regenerate”. Leaving the best trees in the forest means retaining the largest individuals with good form as future seed producers. Important trees for retention also include hollow bearing trees and those that are not sawlogs yet, but have good form and can grow on to be more valuable in the future. Regenerating the forest is also of extreme importance when conducting ecologically sustainable forest management. After harvesting a patch and all the trees for retention have been selected, the site must be prepared for regeneration. Getting regeneration right is of critical importance as future commercial crops and maximising biodiversity depends on it. Regenerating areas need to be monitored to ensure that all the species of the forest are emerging. Private native forestry requires the development of tracks, creek crossings and the like. Of course, it is essential to conduct this in a manner that minimises soil erosion and spoiling local streams. Contact your local DIPNR office for information about protocol for developing new tracks on your property. Products and markets The native forest types of the Southern Tablelands rarely produce reasonable quantities of sawlog grade trees. In fact most of the wood in our forests is firewood grade. Therefore commercial harvesting will require access to the firewood industry. Market opportunities also exist for small volumes of sawn timber, as well as straight posts and poles. Don’t be fooled, as the firewood industry is booming. In fact, much of the firewood retailed by Canberra merchants is harvested from up to 600km west of the ACT. Local merchants have also demonstrated their interest in sourcing wood that has been sustainably harvested from private land. The challenge lies in coordinating a private industry and ensuring consistent supply. “A farmer that’s making money from a forest is one who can afford to conserve it” “A forest with a mosaic of age-classes is far more ecologically valuable than one that is not being regenerated” |