sustainable forest management - Forestry Tasmania

from the MANAGING DIRECTOR
In order to gain a genuine understanding of the many
points of view held by people throughout Tasmania and
to explain what Forestry Tasmania was doing both at a
corporate and a regional level, the 2007/08 year saw a
continuation of open discussions with members of the
public. In partnership with Southern Cross Television, we
established a new statewide program to sponsor worthy
individuals and organisations titled – Community Assist.
Through the receipt of submissions and public comments
we have been able to prepare our Sustainability Charter
that will set the overall strategic direction for state forests
over the coming decade. This Charter commits Forestry
Tasmania to environmental stewardship of our forests as
well as jobs and downstream processing.
To complement the extensive trials into variable retention
at our Warra Long Term Ecological Research Site, the
Forestry Tasmania Board engaged five international science
advisors to provide advice on Forestry Tasmania’s research
into alternatives to clearfelling in old growth forests. This
initiative was complemented by the highly successful Old
Forest, New Management Conference that has provided
us with valuable international perspectives and helped the
development of this new harvesting system.
Following Rayonier’s decision to focus its resources on
managing properties in which they have an ownership
interest, a New Zealand company, Timberlands was
selected as the new manager of the softwood joint venture
between GMO Renewable Resources and ourselves.
Given Timberlands’ proven track record, the quality of
their operations and their sole focus on contract forest
management we trust that this softwood resource will
continue to be managed to a very high standard.
It has been very encouraging to see Forestry Tasmania’s
tourism strategy delivering regional employment and
investment through the development of major attractions
in key locations around Tasmania. The opening of Hollybank
Treetops Adventure marked yet another successful tourism
project in Tasmania’s state forests. In the case of our latest
development, the Adventure Hub at Maydena we will
be trying something different in that Forestry Tasmania
will develop some infrastructure but will then engage in
partnerships with the private sector that recognise the
endless opportunities in this area.
With Forestry Tasmania being one of the key suppliers of
special timbers to people who work in and depend on this
resource, we have commissioned the most comprehensive
study ever undertaken of Tasmania’s woodcraft industry
in association with the Woodcraft Guild Tasmania Inc. This
study will evaluate resource needs, employment, and
the economic value of the industry to ensure its future
direction.
After a three-year review, Standards Australia gave the
Australian Forestry Standard its seal of approval. This full
recognition and endorsement of the forest management
standard used by Forestry Tasmania should provide extra
reassurance to Tasmanians that their state owned native
forests are being sustainably managed.
The release of a report on employment and spending by
the Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry highlighted
the importance of the forest industry to Tasmania’s
Looking up at a cloud station -
Hollybank Treetops Adventure