❓ Question regarding the classification and management of unlogged karri and jarrah forests under the Regional Forest Agreement (RFA), specifically addressing discrepancies in how 'immature' forests are treated.
AnsweredQoN 145Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
145. Dr EDWARDS to the Minister for the Environment:
I refer to the Executive Director of CALM's advice of 17 January 2000 to the South Coast Environment Group regarding karri forest in reserves and ask -
(a) how many hectares of "other unlogged" ("immature, previously unlogged stands") forest was identified during the Regional Forest Agreement process;
(b) how much of this area was -
(i) jarrah forest; and
(ii) karri forest;
(c) under the RFA how much of the "other unlogged" jarrah forest is -
(i) reserved; and
(ii) available for logging; and
(d) why was this "other unlogged" not included as old-growth forest under the RFA, but was included by the Ministerial Advisory Group on karri?
I refer to the Executive Director of CALM's advice of 17 January 2000 to the South Coast Environment Group regarding karri forest in reserves and ask -
(a) how many hectares of "other unlogged" ("immature, previously unlogged stands") forest was identified during the Regional Forest Agreement process;
(b) how much of this area was -
(i) jarrah forest; and
(ii) karri forest;
(c) under the RFA how much of the "other unlogged" jarrah forest is -
(i) reserved; and
(ii) available for logging; and
(d) why was this "other unlogged" not included as old-growth forest under the RFA, but was included by the Ministerial Advisory Group on karri?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 November 2000
Response time
97 days
The Minister Replied:
(a) During the Regional Forest Agreement process a total of approximately 16,200 hectares of previously unlogged karri forest was mapped as having a stand structure dominated by immature age classes.
(b) (i) The structural categories referred to in the letter of 17 January 2000 are for karri forest only. Because of the substantial differences in stand development between jarrah and karri forests, the "immature, previously unlogged" category does not apply to the jarrah forest.
(b) (ii) See answer to (a).
(c) Not applicable.
(d) In karri, the 'immature' structural development stage does not constitute 'old growth'as defined in the National Forest Policy Statement and the Nationally Agreed Reserves Criteria adopted for the Regional Forest Agreement. The Ministerial Advisory Group did not restrict their deliberations to only old growth forest, but rather identified forest areas that it considered should be set aside from harvesting.
(a) During the Regional Forest Agreement process a total of approximately 16,200 hectares of previously unlogged karri forest was mapped as having a stand structure dominated by immature age classes.
(b) (i) The structural categories referred to in the letter of 17 January 2000 are for karri forest only. Because of the substantial differences in stand development between jarrah and karri forests, the "immature, previously unlogged" category does not apply to the jarrah forest.
(b) (ii) See answer to (a).
(c) Not applicable.
(d) In karri, the 'immature' structural development stage does not constitute 'old growth'as defined in the National Forest Policy Statement and the Nationally Agreed Reserves Criteria adopted for the Regional Forest Agreement. The Ministerial Advisory Group did not restrict their deliberations to only old growth forest, but rather identified forest areas that it considered should be set aside from harvesting.
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