FOREST OPERATIONS

Last year we reported of the destruction of large numbers of endangered cycads (Macrozamia johnsonii) in the Chaelundi State Forest to construct a log dump and snig tracks, and we have now received the former Department of Environment and Conservation's (DEC) determination. They claim that, under Section 6.26 of the Integrated Forest Operations Agreement (IFOA), which states that "a minimum of 90% of specimens must be protected from specified forest operations", Forests NSW has not acted illegally because they destroyed less than 11% of the cycads in that compartment.

We were not satisfied with DEC's response, and wrote back (November 25, 2006) pointing out that the IFOA also stated that where the plants occurred in a group, as was the case in point, the group must be protected, and the 10% 'quota' did not apply. It seems we may have had a point as that letter has remained unanswered. We have now written again demanding answers.

We have also inspected logging operations at Newfoundland State Forests and found another log dump in the middle of a grove of threatened Square-fruited Ironbarks, a species that was not even mentioned in their harvest plan.

Unfortunately, the same IFOA clause (Section 6.26), under which "a minimum of 90% of specimens must be protected," applies also to the Ironbarks, so we have also asked DEC to clarify if this actually allows Forests NSW to 'inadvertently' log up to 10% of the species in each compartment during each logging event which now occurs about every ten years. We will keep you informed.