Question On Notice No. 3878 asked in the Legislative Council on 15 March 2016 by Hon Lynn Maclaren
Question Directed to the: Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Parliament: 39 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 4072-
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Question
(1) How many hectares of post-clearfelling regrowth karri forest were damaged in the O'Sullivan/Northcliffe bush fire in January-February 2015?
(2) Of this area, how many hectares does the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) propose to be salvage logged?
(3) Is salvage logging proposed for regrowth karri forest in national parks and/or nature reserves?
(4) If yes to (3), how many hectares in each of these categories of land is it proposed to be salvage logged?
(5) Is salvage logging proposed for regrowth karri forest in State forests?
(6) If yes to (5), how many hectares in this category of land is it proposed to be salvage logged?
(7) Why is DPaW proposing salvage logging when scientists, who are experts in forest management, Professors David Lindenmayer, Philip Burton and Jerry Franklin, in their publication Salvage logging and its ecological consequences, say that salvage logging can have profound negative impacts on ecological processes and biodiversity and will rarely, if ever, contribute in a positive way to ecological recovery?
(8) Has this salvage logging begun?
(9) If yes to (8), when?
(10) If no to (8), when is it proposed to begin?
(11) What is happening to the salvaged logs?
(12) Please provide a map showing the regrowth karri forest damaged in the O'Sullivan/Northcliffe bush fire in January-February 2015, the categories of land in which it is found and the post-clearfelling regrowth karri forest to be salvage logged with the proposed date of logging?
Answered on 10 May 2016
The Minister for Environment has provided the following response.
(1) Approximately 10,620 hectares of regrowth karri forest arising from previous harvesting is located within the perimeter of the bushfire. The damage to areas of regrowth forest within the perimeter varies according to the relative fire intensity, stand age and vegetation conditions at the time, with damage ranging from moderate crown scorch to total defoliation and tree death.
(2)-(4) Consideration of options to regenerate severely affected regrowth forest is being informed by ongoing assessment of the condition and post-fire recovery of regrowth stands within the fire perimeter. Limited salvage of small patches or individual trees within national parks or the Forest Conservation Area may occur to address visitor and worker safety requirements.
(5) Yes.
(6) The area to be harvested and regenerated will depend on the condition of the forest and the availability of markets for sale of the salvaged wood products by the Forest Products Commission (FPC). A proposal by the FPC to harvest up to 800 hectares, of which an initial 100 hectares of severely fire-damaged regrowth karri forest is being salvaged in a trial to refine operations, has been approved by Parks and Wildlife.
(7) The Forest Management Plan 2014-2023 provides for the salvage and regeneration of severely fire-damaged forests, on a case-by-case basis. In the context of dense regrowth karri forests where a high proportion of trees are dead, removal of the dead trees is necessary to regenerate the forest and promote a rapid return to a healthy, mature forest structure. The design and conduct of the salvage operations will incorporate practices promoted in the publication Salvage logging and its ecological consequences. For example, high resolution imagery has been used to accurately define harvest boundaries, with areas of unburnt or lesser damaged trees retained in the landscape to provide ongoing habitat, structural complexity and connectivity.
(8) Yes.
(9) 29 February 2016.
(10) Not applicable.
(11) The FPC has advised Parks and Wildlife that burnt timber that remains suitable as sawlogs is being delivered to local sawmillers for processing. Lower grade burnt timber will be exported to overseas energy markets.
(12) [See Tabled Paper No. #].