A State government mapping exercise will underpin future management of State forests while ensuring zoning is based on accurate information.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A NSW Department of Primary Industries spokesperson says the rigorous approach will ensure that appropriate environmental and timber controls are in place.
The spokesperson also refuted claims by the North East Forest Alliance that the changed methodology would open up some previously identified old growth and rainforest timbers to logging.
"Neither old growth forests nor rainforest are allowed to be harvested in NSW and have not been for many years," the spokesperson said.
"Action is being taken by the NSW government to strengthen – not weaken – this protection.
"In response to recommendations by the Natural Resources Commission (NRC), the NSW government will commence a mapping exercise in state forests on the NSW North Coast.
"This will ensure that old growth forest that was not identified in previous mapping is protected; at the same time areas of regrowth forest which have been incorrectly mapped as old growth may be excluded from old growth reserves and added to the available harvesting area if required, providing they contain no other high conservation values."
This changed methodology means that the original decisions of 20 years ago also change.
- Dailan Pugh
The spokesperson said the work will be overseen by the NRC, with independent environmental assessments to be designed and carried out by office of environment and heritage.
But the North East Forest Alliance's Dailan Pugh is not convinced.
He says the process of re-mapping will jeopardise large sections of formerly protected old growth and rainforest areas.
"This changed methodology means that the original decisions of 20 years ago also change," he says.
"They (the protected areas) have lost their protection, essentially, overnight.
"These areas have not been logged for 20 years - they are certified from logging; they were identified in 1998. And they are included on the heritage register.
"They were selected as high conservation area. They need to be protected."
Mr Pugh said these 'little jewels' of relatively intact forests contained large numbers of mature trees.
"These mature forests are particularly important," he added.
He says the current protections must remain preserved.
Mr Pugh estimated that under the proposed re-mapping as much as 88 per cent of old growth forests and 62 per cent of rainforests could be logged.