❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses logging practices in state forests, specifically regarding the felling of habitat trees, criteria for habitat tree identification, and the management of unmilled timber left in various forest blocks. The Minister's response provides clarification on procedures and practices.
AnsweredQoN 7555Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
In relation to logging in State forests blocks, I ask,
(a) is the Minister aware of any photographic evidence that show trees marked as habitat trees have been felled and are now left abandoned;
(b) what is the criteria for marking a tree a tree to be retained as a habitat tree, or a tree with the potential to be a future habitat tree?
(c) is there any logged timber that is unmilled, stacked and left abandoned in either of the Helms, Warrup, Arcadia, Merribup or Koonan forest blocks; and if yes:
(i) what plans does the Forestry Products Commission have for this forsaken timber;
(ii) how much logged, unmilled timber has been abandoned and in what forest blocks is this timber; and
(iii) what it the grade of the abandoned timber?
(a) is the Minister aware of any photographic evidence that show trees marked as habitat trees have been felled and are now left abandoned;
(b) what is the criteria for marking a tree a tree to be retained as a habitat tree, or a tree with the potential to be a future habitat tree?
(c) is there any logged timber that is unmilled, stacked and left abandoned in either of the Helms, Warrup, Arcadia, Merribup or Koonan forest blocks; and if yes:
(i) what plans does the Forestry Products Commission have for this forsaken timber;
(ii) how much logged, unmilled timber has been abandoned and in what forest blocks is this timber; and
(iii) what it the grade of the abandoned timber?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
1 May 2012
Responded by
Minister for Forestry
Response time
41 days
(a) Yes, I am aware of that some photographs have been taken of marked habitat trees that have been removed. When planning forest harvesting operations, the Forest Products Commission (FPC) marks some trees, including habitat trees, for retention. However, the process of constructing road and log landings often takes place subsequent to tree marking and some trees previously marked for retention may be removed during these operations. The FPC has a procedure in place to authorise the removal of these trees while ensuring that the required number of habitat trees is retained across the area of forest being harvested.
(b) There are two habitat tree types required for retention under the Jarrah Silvicultural Guidelines associated with the current Forest Management Plan 2004-2013. These are Primary Habitat Trees and Secondary Habitat Trees. All the trees should be wind firm and no more than 50 per cent of the circumference of the base of the tree should be hollow. In addition, the two types of habitat trees should have the following characteristics:
· Primary Habitat trees are required to be mature to senescent and greater than 70 cm in diameter. The crown should show some deterioration, including dead branches with obvious hollows. On average, five Primary Habitat Trees per hectare should be marked across every five hectares.
· Secondary Habitat trees should be immature to mature and between 30 to
70 cm in diameter. The crowns should show some potential for deterioration but the tree must be healthy and capable of surviving for a long time. Some small hollows and or broken branch stubs with the potential to develop hollows should be visible. Trees that show signs of resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi should be preferentially retained.
The retention rate for Secondary Habitat Trees is 6-8 per hectare, in addition to the retention of Primary Habitat trees. Secondary habitat retention is not required in areas of forest being harvested to the "Thinning" objective as sufficient trees with the appropriate characteristics will be retained through the application of these guidelines.
c) The Warrup, Arcadia and Merribup forest blocks have current harvesting operations. Until operations are completed there will be stacks of log timber on landings that have yet to be delivered to customers.
Forest operations have not yet commenced at Helms block.
At the Coonan (Koonan sic) forest block there are some logs left on landings that are the residues resulting from production of higher grades of sawlog timber. These residue logs are not suitable for milling.
(i) The FPC pursues residue markets for log products below sawlog grade and this material is often sold into the domestic firewood industry. Logs that cannot be sold immediately into this market are often sold in subsequent years if a market is identified. The FPC, in conjunction with the Department of Environment and Conservation, from time to time provides public access to residue logs from Public Firewood Areas.
(ii) The quantity and location of residue log material which remains as a consequence of producing other grades of timber is not recorded.
(iii) The log timber remaining in the forest after producing and delivering logs suitable for milling is classed as residue and is not assigned a specific grade.
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(b) There are two habitat tree types required for retention under the Jarrah Silvicultural Guidelines associated with the current Forest Management Plan 2004-2013. These are Primary Habitat Trees and Secondary Habitat Trees. All the trees should be wind firm and no more than 50 per cent of the circumference of the base of the tree should be hollow. In addition, the two types of habitat trees should have the following characteristics:
· Primary Habitat trees are required to be mature to senescent and greater than 70 cm in diameter. The crown should show some deterioration, including dead branches with obvious hollows. On average, five Primary Habitat Trees per hectare should be marked across every five hectares.
· Secondary Habitat trees should be immature to mature and between 30 to
70 cm in diameter. The crowns should show some potential for deterioration but the tree must be healthy and capable of surviving for a long time. Some small hollows and or broken branch stubs with the potential to develop hollows should be visible. Trees that show signs of resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi should be preferentially retained.
The retention rate for Secondary Habitat Trees is 6-8 per hectare, in addition to the retention of Primary Habitat trees. Secondary habitat retention is not required in areas of forest being harvested to the "Thinning" objective as sufficient trees with the appropriate characteristics will be retained through the application of these guidelines.
c) The Warrup, Arcadia and Merribup forest blocks have current harvesting operations. Until operations are completed there will be stacks of log timber on landings that have yet to be delivered to customers.
Forest operations have not yet commenced at Helms block.
At the Coonan (Koonan sic) forest block there are some logs left on landings that are the residues resulting from production of higher grades of sawlog timber. These residue logs are not suitable for milling.
(i) The FPC pursues residue markets for log products below sawlog grade and this material is often sold into the domestic firewood industry. Logs that cannot be sold immediately into this market are often sold in subsequent years if a market is identified. The FPC, in conjunction with the Department of Environment and Conservation, from time to time provides public access to residue logs from Public Firewood Areas.
(ii) The quantity and location of residue log material which remains as a consequence of producing other grades of timber is not recorded.
(iii) The log timber remaining in the forest after producing and delivering logs suitable for milling is classed as residue and is not assigned a specific grade.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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