Wood products

Timber harvested from native forests and plantations provides a broad range of wood products. High quality sawlogs, peeler logs, poles and pulpwood are produced from different parts of harvested trees at different stages in a forest’s growth cycle. These products are processed into sawn timber, composite wood panels, paper and many other products to meet community needs. The capacity of a forest to produce wood products in perpetuity while maintaining other forest values is termed sustainable yield.

Priority RFA information

Increase transparency and accountability on sustainable yield, including:

• accounting for climate risks and adaptation measures
• maintain and improve the Forest Resource and Management Evaluation System (FRAMES)
• make publicly available an independent review of sustainable yield estimates for each RFA.

Sustainability Indicators

Inform measures and reporting on performance in relation to the following Sustainability Indicators:

Criterion 2: Maintenance of productive capacity of forest ecosystems

• 2.1a Native forest available for wood production, area harvested and growing stock of merchantable and non-merchantable tree species
• 2.1b Age class and growing stock of plantations
• 2.1c Annual removal of wood products compared to the volume determined to be sustainable for native forests, and the future yields for plantations
• 2.1d Annual removal of non-wood forest products compared to the level determined to be sustainable
• 2.1e The proportion of the total area of native forest harvested that has been effectively regenerated, and the area of plantation clearfell harvested and the proportion of that effectively re-established

Criterion 6: Maintenance and enhancement of long-term multiple socio-economic benefits to meet the needs of societies

Focus areas

• Volume, quality and trend of timber harvested on state forests relative to sustainable wood supply
• Effectiveness of the IFOA conditions to meet objectives and outcomes
• Effectiveness of Private Native Forestry Codes of Practice to promote regeneration
• Impacts of fire, drought, forest dieback and climate change on sustainable timber yield and forest ecosystems.

Evaluation questions for all RFA regions

1. Is timber harvested in a sustainable manner?

Monitoring activities

1. Baseline and trends in wood supply on state forests
   Coastal IFOA Monitoring and Improvement Program
   More details here


2. Forestry Corporation of NSW forest management system
   More details here


3. Local Land Services - Private Native Forestry
   More details here


4. NSW Environment Protection Authority
   More details here

Research

See research priorities.

Outputs

EPA NSW Forestry Snapshot Reports. More details here.

Australian forest and wood products statistics
More details here

Forestry Corporation of NSW publications
More details here