Forestry

Frank Batini’s article (The role of academics in influencing the perceived threat from climate change) highlights how data can be misused to achieve an end. The ‘peer review’ process is intended to ensure that scientific findings are credible and justifiable. But with the frenzy to publish for academic standing and the proliferation of journals wanting to accommodate them, the peer review process often fails under the pressure ...ARR.News asked a few questions of Jack.

With more than 110,000 hectares of red gum forests now put into National Parks, red gum reserves or Indigenous protected areas across the state, open dialogue can ensure active management remains to manage the aggressive regeneration of these red gum forests and balance the social, economic, cultural and ecological aspects.

When I first visited Kalgoorlie last October, I read about the Great Western Woodlands. Based on their distribution and extent, they certainly are “Great”. The Woodlands cover nearly 16 million hectares south and west of Kalgoorlie ... Until recently, though, the woodlands were known as the Goldfields Woodlands. Why the name change?

A recent controversial social media post has highlighted the importance of communication, engagement and balancing expectations. The target of the post was the red gum forestry operations on Campbells Island back in early 2020. A meeting held at Murray Connect on Monday, July 25, saw industry, community members and forestry start a conversation over harvesting, management, rules and sustainability. In a three-part article, we will break down some of the rules, regulation and concerns.

Following the release, the Victorian Regional Forest Agreements (RFA) - Major Event Review of the 2019- 2020 bushfires, the peak national organisation representing over 1,000 forest scientists and professionals have called for active and adaptive forest management to be implemented as a matter of urgency. President of Forestry Australia, Bob Gordon said the organisation has been calling on all governments to prioritise and invest in a year-round active and adaptive management approach to forest management, regardless of tenure.

Sadly, death and destruction will continue to escalate whilst governments rely on advice from academics and firechiefs and give them increased funding after every disaster. Sustainable fire management would be very much cheaper and better.

Some academics are happy to comment in areas where they have no expertise or local knowledge. In contrast, the views of locals with years of practical management experience are mostly ignored.

As you drive on the Caves Road between Margaret River and Augusta, you will pass a magnificent forest of tall karri trees called the Boranup Forest. It is an extraordinary place – the furthest west that karri grows.

Following the release of the State of the Environment report, the peak national organisation representing over 1,000 forest scientists and professionals in Australia has joined in supporting Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek’s calls for more reform in the area of environmental law ... “The current approaches to management of Australia’s forests are not working – we believe we need to reform our philosophy of land management, our approach to conservation and how we manage our forests,” Forestry Australia President Bob Gordon.

Forestry Australia is delighted to announce the appointment of two new co-chairs to lead its Future Foresters Initiative (FFI) Committee. Alannah Rowe and David Faluyi will head up the committee made up of young forestry professionals and forest science students which aims to support career growth and foster the next generation of forestry leaders.

Installing wind turbines in just five sites in State owned pine plantations could generate up to 2.5 gigawatts of energy a year, a registration of interest process has revealed, prompting Forestry Corporation to formally call for Expressions of Interest to develop renewable energy generation and storage in plantations near Oberon, Sunny Corner, Bondo, Orange and Laurel Hill ... “Wind farms successfully operate in softwood forests overseas .. " : Gavin Jeffries.

Forestry Corporation of NSW has started its 2022 replanting program, with three million seedlings set to be replanted into 2,400 hectares of Bathurst pine plantations previously harvested. ... “Through their efforts we are rebuilding plantations previously harvested for timber, including Mount David, Canobolas and Vulcan State Forests.” Forestry Corporation’s Silviculture Manager Mike Freeman

The National Parks and Wildlife Service has a team visiting Narrandera this week to conduct aspects of koala research in the Narrandera Reserve ... Dr Joanne Connolly from Charles Sturt University's proposed research will involve further steps in the research proposal to establish a koala research centre in Narrandera and will complement and build further on the data being collected by the team from the Koalas Biodiversity and Ecological Health Branch of NPWS.

I reckon the Monty Python team would have been jealous of the creative genius behind NSW’s Koala Strategy. It would be hilarious except for the $200 million price tag to save an irruptive species which is in much greater numbers across a much wider area than before the European ‘invasion’. Apart from Strzelecki, no explorer saw any koalas because they didn’t live in the grassy valleys occupied by Aborigines and sought by pastoralists.

A $600,000 investment to support an Aboriginal koala habitat conservation project is being delivered as one of the first actions in the NSW Koala Strategy. Minister for Environment James Griffin said the project with the Gumbaynggirr community applies cultural lessons from traditional owners. “The traditional custodians of this land intrinsically understand how to care for their Country,” Mr Griffin said ... ARR.News has some questions for the Minister.

Amendments to the Forest Products Act 2000 (WA) that will allow the Forest Products Commission (FPC) to trade in carbon assets has passed through the State Parliament. Until now, the FPC's functions were restricted to dealing with forest products, which are defined to mean trees, parts of trees and similar products. The statutory expansion of the FPC's functions under the new legislation, will now grant the FPC the right to own, trade and otherwise deal with carbon assets.

The peak national organisation representing forest scientists and professionals has refuted claims that native forest harvesting in Tasmania has impacted negatively on the climate. Forestry Australia President Bob Gordon said on the contrary, the carbon sequestering power of growing trees meant sustainable forestry played a key role in reducing the state’s carbon emissions.

Robert Onfray introduces a powerful 2015 speech by Roger Underwood, retired forester, firefighter and bushfire specialist in karri country ... "We have given warning after warning, until we sound like a broken record. We have met with Premiers, Ministers and senior bureaucrats, and written dozens of letters and submissions. We have said “get your bushfire management sorted out, or you will lose everything”, but instead of getting better, things on the ground just kept getting worse." Has anything changed?

Forestry Corporation of NSW has delivered 25,000 koala food tree seedlings to the Friends of the Koala’s Lismore nursery to support north coast koala conservation groups’ efforts to establish habitat on private land. With wet weather rife across the region, all involved were relieved that the nursery site remained dry enough to receive the bulk seedling delivery in support of Friends of the Koala’s and Bangalow Koalas’ planting programs.

Emma Pritchard. Timber producers throughout Northern NSW have been given a massive boost after the State Government announced a $10 million subsidy to assist local mills impacted by recent bushfires, destructive floods and relentless rain to source supplies from outside the region ... With J Notaras and Sons Sawmill presently operating at 60-70 percent below normal production, Ms Layton said the announcement will enable the local business to source timber supplies from further afield, and most importantly, allow the sawmill to remain operational.