FFIC Forest Industry News

Biomass Energy Presentations

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:44:00 GMT

Biomass - a new way to reduce power costs. The production of renewable energy from biomass is growing in popularity world-wide. There are now opportunities in Tasmania for the generation of biomass energy from wood residues and municipal waste, with funding assistance from Regional Development Australia. The development of biomass energy plants also has the potential to reduce power costs and create regional employment.

Andrew Lang from the World Bio-energy Association and Craig Perkins from Regional Development Australia are presenting information about bio-energy and the opportunities that exist for its production here in Tasmania, at seminars in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie and Devonport.

A particular focus will be the ways in which municipal councils and not-for-profit-organisations can save power, generate sustainable energy and benefit from funding from Regional Development Australia. Andrew Lang has just this week returned from Finland, Denmark and the USA where he has been exploring bio-energy and looking at the latest developments.

Hobart - October 10th, 11 a.m. - The Old Woolstore (Theatrette)
Launceston - October 11th, 11 a.m. - Inveresk Railyards (Tram Shed)
Burnie - October 12th, 11 a.m - Burnie Civic Centre (Braddon Room)
Devonport - October 12th, 2:30 p.m. - Devonport Entertainment and Convention Centre (Centenary Court)

Benefits of Wood as a Green Building Material

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:59:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2011 - The findings of a new U.S. Forest Service study indicate that wood should factor as a primary building material in green building, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today.

The authors of Science Supporting the Economic and Environmental Benefits of Using Wood and Wood Products in Green Building Construction reviewed the scientific literature and found that using wood in building products yields fewer greenhouse gases than using other common materials.

"This study confirms what many environmental scientists have been saying for years," said Vilsack. "Wood should be a major component of American building and energy design. The use of wood provides substantial environmental benefits, provides incentives for private landowners to maintain forest land, and provides a critical source of jobs in rural America."

The Forest Service report also points out that greater use of life cycle analysis in building codes and standards would improve the scientific underpinning of building codes and standards and thereby benefit the environment. A combination of scientific advancement in the areas of life cycle analysis and the development of new technologies for improved and extended wood utilization are needed to continue to advance wood as a green construction material. Sustainability of forest products can be verified using any credible third-party rating system, such as Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Forest Stewardship Council or American Tree Farm System certification.

"The argument that somehow non-wood construction materials are ultimately better for carbon emissions than wood products is not supported by our research," said David Cleaves, the U.S. Forest Service Climate Change Advisor. "Trees removed in an environmentally responsible way allow forests to continue to sequester carbon through new forest growth. Wood products continue to benefit the environment by storing carbon long after the building has been constructed."

The use of forest products in the United States currently supports more than one million direct jobs, particularly in rural areas, and contributes more than $100 billion to the country's gross domestic product.

"In the Rockies alone, we have hundreds of thousands of dead trees killed by bark beetles that could find their way into the building supply chain for all types of buildings," said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. "Taking a harder look at wood as a green building source could reduce the damages posed by future fires, maintain overall forest health and provide much-needed jobs in local communities."

The U.S. Forest Service report identifies several areas where peer-reviewed science can contribute to sustainable green building design and decisions. These recommendations address the following needs for use of wood as a green building material:

Information on environmental impacts across the lifecycle of wood and alternative construction materials needs to be updated and revised;
Green buildings codes and standards should include adequate provisions to recognize the benefit of a lifecycle environmental analysis to guide selection of building materials; and
A lack of educational, technology transfer, and demonstration projects hinder the acceptance of wood as a green building material.

Research recently initiated by the wood products industry in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory will enable greater use and valuation of smaller diameter trees and insect and disease-killed trees. Research on new products and technologies has been initiated including improved cross-lamination techniques and the increased use of nanotechnology.

These developments are especially important amidst a changing climate because forest managers will need to increasingly thin densely forested areas in the coming years to reduce the impacts from longer and more severe wildfire seasons. Continued research of wood-based products and technologies will contribute to more environmentally responsible building materials and increased energy efficiency.

The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Recreational activities on our lands contribute $14.5 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

To view the full Green Building report please click here.

Source: United States Department of Agriculture

FFIC Media Release - Forestry CRC Vital to Forestry Future

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:42:00 GMT

The Chairman of the Forests and Forest Industry Council of Tasmania, Rob Woolley, has called for a review of the Australian Government’s decision to cut funding for the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Forestry.

Mr Woolley who is a Director of the CRC, said the Forests and Forest Industry Council of Tasmania was also a CRC partner and that’s its broad stakeholder group would be ‘extremely disappointed’ with the Federal decision.

“The future of Tasmanian forestry is in the balance at the moment. To forge a sustainable, science-based future, continuance of the valuable work of the CRC is vital.”

Mr Woolley said the CRC played a crucial role in research and development, the importance of which was exemplified by the positive role forestry can play in mitigating the effects of climate change.

“Research and Development must play a central role as Tasmania’s forest industry is restructured as a result of the recent State and Federal Intergovernmental Agreement.

I would urge the Federal Government to think again about the implications of cutting CRC funding in the context of the need to create a robust, science-driven forest industry for Tasmania.”

More Information:
Rob Woolley (0414 508 130)
Chairman
Forests and Forest Industry Council of Tasmania

www.thenewforestindustry.com.au
Forests and Forest Industry Council
Ph: 61(0)3 62336510 Fax: 61(0)3 6224 0599
Level 5-2 Kirksway Place Battery Point Tasmania 7004

Potential Effects of Climate Change on Forests and Forestry

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:53:00 GMT

Report: Potential Effects of Climate Change on Forests and Forestry (Summary for Tasmania). This is a summary of a more detailed assessment on the potential effects of climate change on wood plantations and related industries in Tasmania (ABARES 2011b).

That more detailed assessment, in turn, is part of a larger assessment that projects the potential effects of climate change on forest growth in six regions across Australia and estimates the effects of those changes on wood production, the forestry and forest products industries, and the communities dependent on those industries.

The assessment also identifies opportunities for adaptation to such effects. This is one of six regional summaries; a seventh document synthesises the study’s overall findings.

Download: Potential Effects of Climate Change on Forests and Forestry (Summary for Tasmania)

Repoort: Asian Honeybee - Possible Environmental Impacts

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:12:00 GMT

Executive Summary: This report reviews current scientific literature to determine what is known about the possible impacts of Asian honeybees (Apis cerana) on the Australian environment. The report was commissioned by the Australian Government (Department of Sustainability, Environment, Population, Water and Communities) to provide information for decision‐makers and policy officers seeking to influence environmental biosecurity. Close to 100 references were reviewed and stored in an Endnote biobliographic database.

Four key questions guided the collection of evidence to inform decision‐making:

What do we know about Apis cerana - as a species, and in terms of their distribution, ecology, biology and incursion into Australia to date?
What do we know about other bees ecology, biology, etc?
What do we know about Apis mellifera impacts on Australian environments?
How do the species compare/interact and what can we learn about the comparison regarding potential impacts of Apis cerana on Australian environments?

Apis cerana is one of the species of social honeybees which demonstrate both individual and colony behaviour ‐ a key to maximising invasion potential. Literature indicates that Apis cerana exhibits a great deal of ‘plasticity’ in its biology and ecology across its geographical range. Thus the biology and ecology attributed to A. cerana at one location in Asia does not mean that those attributes will apply to A. cerana at other locations. Most published literature on Apis cerana has been written in the context of it being an endemic (native) bee in the context of introduced Apis mellifera species. This may not apply to the genotype of Apis cerana currently inhabiting the Cairns region of far north Queensland. Literature reviewed covers Apis cerana’s distribution, description, floral references, colony size, defense behaviours, flight patterns, swarming behaviours, nesting, parasitic mites and a brief overview of the current incursion.

Australian native bees differ significantly to the Apis honeybees in that they are mainly solitary bees. Australia also has 10 native species of stingless social bees. There is some evidence of potential environmental impacts arising from introductions of Bombus terrestris (bumble bees) and Apis mellifera (Euopean honeybees).

The impact of exotic honeybees (Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris) on the Australian environment is comparatively poorly understood in relation to their (positive) impact on productivity and agriculture. Feral honeybee impacts on Australian ecosystems are controversial but may include competition with native fauna for floral resources or nesting sites, inadequate pollination of native flora or undesirable pollination of exotic flora. Literature reviewed has been classified as describing interactions between honeybees and plants (floral resources), ii) interactions between honeybees and vertebrates and iii) interactions between honeybees and native bees.

There is very little (if any) published evidence of the environmental impact of Apis cerana. In Asia, where the species has been established for thousands of years, it is not labelled as an invasive species and therefore its environmental ‘impact’ has not been questioned. Given the invasion is relatively recent and there are no published studies of its environmental impact to date, actual impact of A. cerana on the Australian environment can therefore only be assessed given the (limited) data and careful observations of the Biosecurity Queensland Surveillance Manager and other experienced field officers. However, sufficient is known about Australian plant and animal communities to safely state that it is false to suggest Apis cerana will never have negative effects on nature conservation, just as it is false to suggest that they will have serious negative impacts in all circumstances.

Adherence to the precautionary principle around management of Apis cerana is recommended. Management recommendations include:

establishing and maintaining Apis cerana‐free and A. cerana ‐control areas with appropriate buffer zones;
classifying natural habitat into A, cerana-free, A. cerana control or A. cerana affected areas for differential management of key native species;
controlling A. cerana populations via baiting; and
recording key observations of all A. cerana colonies/swarms in a centralised database.

One key area for future research is to determine where and when the risk of negative environmental impact from Apis cerana is highest such that limited resources are directed to areas of maximum return. Five recommendations for research priorities are suggested.

Download the entire report here.

Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:55:00 GMT

Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of Tasmania.

Download full text here.

Horse Logging Makes a Comeback

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:39:00 GMT

Using horses in a woodlot to help logging might be considered old school, but for Aaron Wozniak, it is a task that won't make him rich.

Check out the video here.

Source: Tree Frog Daily Forestry News

Revealing the Secrets of Tree Felling Excellence

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:48:00 GMT

A recent study completed by Scion researcher Richard Parker reveals how experienced tree fellers gain efficiency when using a chainsaw. Parker developed new ways of measuring worker activities using lightweight video cameras attached to the helmet and shoulder of loggers. The cameras recorded exactly what tree fallers were doing and seeing during an average work day, giving an up close and personal view of how they worked.

Results showed that experienced tree fallers felled an average of 34 trees per hour compared with novices who averaged 17 trees per hour. By taking the time to make the first cut correctly, fallers were able to reduce the need to rework and were therefore able to drop trees more quickly.

These results arose from a larger study on tree felling and rural fire fighting recently completed by Parker. For full details on the story and link to the study, check out the latest R&D Works Newsletter.

Source: Friday Off Cuts

Virgin Australia Developing Unique Bio-fuel

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:47:00 GMT

Virgin Australia have announced that it has partnered with Renewable Oil Corporation (ROC), Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation (DYMTF) and Future Farm Industries Co-operative Research Centre (FFI CRC) to develop a sustainable aviation biofuel that also has benefits for the Australian farming community and the environment.

In a world first, the consortium plans to use innovative fast pyrolysis technology developed by Dynamotive to process mallees, a eucalypt tree that can be grown sustainably in many parts of Australia. The partnership brings together companies with special expertise in growing, harvesting and processing feedstock into aviation fuel to support the development of a full scale commercial plant in Western Australia.

Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti said: “Over the past few years Virgin Australia has been working with stakeholders across the industry to research and develop bio-derived renewable fuels that can be used to progressively replace conventional aviation fuels. “We believe this new project has great potential given the results with the technology and the availability of this unique Australian feedstock.

Dynamotive has invested in excess of $100 Million and more than 10 years of work in developing its fast pyrolysis technology from bench-scale through to commercial-scale plants in Canada. The plants are equipped to make pyrolysis oil for fuels and also produce biochar, for soil improvement and carbon sequestration.

Leading the commercialisation of mallees is the Future Farm Industries Co-operative Research Centre (FFI CRC), a national R&D joint venture with experts in breeding, growing and harvesting these trees. CRC CEO Mr Kevin Goss said: “Our research shows that mallees can be planted in balance with profitable crop and livestock production in Australia’s wheatbelt region. As well as becoming a source of biomass for renewable energy they offer protection from wind erosion, help to avoid dryland salinity and provide improved livestock shelter”.

Already more than 1,000 farmers have planted mallees in belts on their farms, mainly in Western Australia. Later this year the FFI CRC partnership will bring the prototype, world’s first hardwood biomass harvester to Western Australia for wide-scale demonstrations.

Renewable Oil Corporation (ROC), which identified the mallee tree as a promising biofuel feedstock, is Dynamotive’s Australian partner and develops biofuel projects in Australia. ROC CEO Colin Stucley summed up: “We are excited about the potential of this consortium. It offers world-class biofuel technology, and a unique Australian feedstock. We look forward to supplying commercial quantities of renewable biofuels for use by Virgin Australia and building this new business.”

The consortium is currently finalising plans for a demonstration unit that will make bio-fuels for testing, certification and public trials. The demonstration unit is intended to be operational in 2012, followed by the construction of a commercial-scale plant, which could be operational as early as 2014.

Source: Friday Off Cuts

Build Green With Wood - August 2011 Newsletter

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:59:00 GMT

Build Green With Wood is a community for professionals to share their best practices and discuss new innovations. It is also the place to keep up to date on the latest news while learning more about Building Green With Wood from sustainably managed forests.

These regular newsletters highlight Build Green With Wood’s current initiatives and will be your source of news on green building applications taking place around the world.

Sign-up for the newsletter here, or download the August 2011 edition as a PDF here.

Public Seminar Invitation

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:39:00 GMT

Researchers urge targeted allocation of forest industry assistance - a public seminar presented by Dr Jacki Schirmer Cooperative Research Centre for Forestry, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University.

Decision makers have been urged to use the findings of new research to inform distribution of financial and other assistance as part of implementing Tasmania’s ‘forests peace deal’.

Research from the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Forestry shows that job loss in Tamania’s forest industry has accelerated in recent months.

The research has analysed the vulnerability of people and communities dependent on the industry to future changes, such as those that will occur under Tasmania’s ‘forest peace deal’.

Areas examined by the research include:

What is the rate of job loss in the industry and which workers and businesses are most vulnerable to further change?
Which Tasmanian communities are most exposed to the impacts of forest industry job loss and flow-on effects?
What impact on the industry has resulted from continued uncertainty?
What support is needed for businesses, workers and communities?

This seminar will present the findings of the study, including recommendations to help those affected by the current downturn, ongoing uncertainty about the industry’s future, and potential further change.

Dr Jacki Schirmer leads the ‘Communities’ research project at the CRC for Forestry, and is a Research Fellow at the Australian National University. Her research examines the socio-economic impacts of plantation forestry and other types of land use change. For the past decade she has researched social dimensions of forestry, fishing and agriculture, including the socioeconomic impacts of changing land use from traditional agriculture to plantation forestry, community engagement strategies, and farmer adoption of revegetation and commercial tree planting.

Seminar Details

Date: Thursday 11 August
Time: 5.30 - 6.30pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, University of Tasmania, Newnham Campus (Launceston).

You do not need to RSVP. For more information, contact Jacki Schirmer 0428 254 948 or jacki.schirmer@anu.edu.au.

This research was part-funded by the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), to enable the study to form part of the due diligence assessment of the Tasmanian Forest Principles Statement. The seminar is presented by the CRC for Forestry as part of the ‘Communities’ project. For more information on this project please visit the CRC website - www.crcforestry.com.au.

Source: http://www.timberbiz.com.au/dtn/details.asp?ID=675

Thinning Saved 100's of Homes

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 11:45:00 GMT

Wallow Fire underscored danger facing Rim Country | Five years worth of sometimes-controversial tree thinning projects saved hundreds of homes in Alpine, Springerville and Greer from the ravages of the Wallow Fire, a just-released Forest Service report has concluded.

“When the fire came over the ridge toward Alpine, it sounded like a freight train. The smoke column was bent over, making it difficult to see. Without the fuel treatment effects of reducing flame lengths and defensible space around most houses, we would have had to pull back our firefighters. Many of the houses would have caught fire and burned to the ground,” concluded Jim Aylor, fire management officer for the Alpine Fire District.

Dramatic aerial photos show that a crown fire leaping from treetop to treetop faster than a man can run dropped to the ground when it hit a buffer zone where loggers had dramatically reduced tree densities and removed tons of brush from each acre.

The effect of the thinning projects offers a cautionary tale for Rim Country, where the Forest Service has not quite completed a similar thinned buffer zone around fire-menaced communities.

Payson, Star Valley, Pine and Strawberry have a good start on such a buffer zone, but unincorporated communities like Whispering Pines, Beaver Valley, Kohl’s Ranch, Christopher Creek, Tonto Village, Geronimo Estates and many others remain among the most fire-threatened communities in the nation.

The report lauded praise on the protection offered as a result of the troubled White Mountain Stewardship Project, which was originally intended as a model for the use of timber companies to provide a low-cost way to thin millions of acres of badly overgrown forests.

The Forest Service agreed to pay $800 per acre for the thinning, with the local firms using the small trees and brush for wood products. The project has thinned some 50,000 acres since 2004. However, the Forest Service has sharply limited the project in the past several years for lack of money. Instead of thinning 15,000 acres annually, the project has been limited to 5,000 acres. The 22 businesses with contracts to process and sell the wood say they can’t make a go of it if the Forest Service limits contracts to just 5,000 acres annually. Studies suggest the project has created 200 local jobs.

The economics of the White Mountain Stewardship Project, in turn, have cast a shadow over the much more ambitious 4-Forests Restoration Initiative (4-FRI), which would thin a much larger area including most of Rim Country. The Forest Service has already put out requests for proposals from timber companies who could thin an initial 800,000 acres in the next decade. The Forest Service hopes that the guarantee of a large supply of small trees would prompt timber companies to invest millions to build small-wood mills and biofuel power plants. Backers hope the timber companies will make enough money on wood products that they won’t need an additional taxpayer subsidy.

As a result of a century of grazing, logging and fire suppression, tree densities across some six million acres of ponderosa pine forests in central Arizona have risen from maybe 30 to 50 per acre to 600 to 1,500 per acre.

The timber industry has all but collapsed in Arizona in the past 20 years as a result of a combination of factors. First, the mills ran short of the once endless supply of big, fire-resistant trees for which the mills were mostly designed. Moreover, a flurry of lawsuits by conservationist groups mostly focused on saving the remaining big trees and restoring forests to more natural conditions stalled many timber sales.

Now the Wallow Fire has provided dramatic support for a return of the timber industry focused on making money on the thickets of small trees less than 16 inches in diameter that pose an acute danger in a state where many towns and subdivisions are scattered throughout a thickly overgrown forest.

The Wallow Fire was apparently started from a single, untended campfire on May 29, a hot, windy day with 7 percent humidity. It ultimately grew to more than 733 square miles, the largest fire in state history.

By the sixth day, it had already consumed 63 square miles of forest - about 40,000 acres. By June 3, it had climbed into the tops of the trees and was roaring toward Alpine, a pristine, high-mountain town that cowered in its path. The fire advanced eight miles on a broad front on that terrible day, with flames leaping 100 feet into the air. Embers flung out a mile ahead of the fire front showered down on Alpine.

Firefighters are helpless in confronting such a fire. They dare not even try to hack out a fire line in front of it, when surrounded by thick forest and a fire moving through treetops faster than a man can run.

However, the White Mountain Stewardship Project had thinned a half-mile-wide strip of trees at the edge of Alpine.

That proved the little town’s salvation.

The raging crown fire dropped to the ground as soon as it hit that buffer zone, since the remaining trees were so widely spaced the fire couldn’t move from treetop to treetop. Instead of producing 50- and 100-foot-long gouts of flame, the fire now burned along in the debris on the ground.

This offered firefighters a safe space to operate ahead of the fire. They cut additional trees, cleared away brush and put out spot fires beyond the fire line. When they could, they also set backfires to burn toward the fire front, eating up the fuel and stopping the spread of the main body of flames.

Moreover, the fire department in Alpine had for years pressed homeowners to clear brush and trees around their houses, to create a “firewise” buffer zone.

The fire claimed only one home in Alpine - a house that burned days later, apparently the victim of smoldering embers.

“There’s no question that these previous fuel reduction actions allowed the firefighters to safely and aggressively fight the Wallow Fire,” the report concluded.

Local rancher Wink Crigler observed “The White Mountain Stewardship has a really good thinning project. When the fire comes, you need something that creates an opportunity for protection. We all knew that it was not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when’ fire was going to threaten our homes.”

Thinned buffer zones proved their value again on June 8, as the Wallow Fire roared down on Greer, driven by 20 mph winds. The fierce crown fire bore down on the small, forested community, heralded by a shower of embers and 50-foot flames.

However, the Forest Service had previously thinned a strategically located stand of forest on the south side of Greer at Amberon Point, which provided an “anchor point” for the defense of the town.

The Springerville Fire District took advantage of that cleared area to position firefighters between the fire and the homes.

Firefighters started backfires at the edge of the thinned areas, which gobbled up the fuel in the path of the main body of the fire and spared the town.

Source: www.paysonroundup.com

Tasmanian Forest Agreement: Heads of Agreement

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:11:00 GMT

The pressure on the Tasmanian Forestry industry over recent years and months has created a situation in which the industry and workforce cannot be sustained in their current form.

The Australian and Tasmanian Governments recognise the need for transition as a result of this pressure, and the intense pain and hardship experienced by many workers and their families in communities across Tasmania.

A change is needed in order to bring this distress to an end and create a transition that leads to a sustainable future for those communities and certainty for a sustainable forest industry.

This agreement will underpin a transition, provide immediate assistance to those workers and families who are in distress as a result of industry restructuring, support the restructuring of the industry towards future sustainability, create a significant conservation benefit by reserving and protecting High Conservation Value forest areas and strengthen the partnership between the two Governments and other stakeholders to develop and diversify the Tasmanian economy, creating new sources of prosperity and opportunity for all Tasmanians.

The principles and subsequent agreement among signatories to those principles, independently facilitated by Mr Bill Kelty, represent significant progress in working towards a settlement of the conflict over native forestry in Tasmania which has blighted community and economic life in the State for too long.

The two Governments acknowledge the effort and commitment put in by the signatories to those principles. This agreement is consistent with those principles and makes commitments to implementation which can realise the significant benefits potentially available to the whole community. They also note that, during the verification and implementation of this agreement, Gunns Ltd will continue to work towards the establishment of a pulp mill at Bell Bay.

The Tasmanian and Australian Governments agree that:

1. A package of immediate assistance will be provided to workers and contractors who are losing their jobs and livelihoods as a result of the current changes in the industry, namely the exit of Gunns Ltd from the native forest sector.This package will make up to $85m available to support employee assistance, retraining (and relocation) support for workers to support them in finding new jobs and opportunities and for harvest and haulage contractors to exit the industry permanently. $70m of this package will be provided by the Australian Government. This package will include a partnership with ForestWorks and Skills Tasmania to maximise the local opportunities for retraining and employment in local communities affected by the industry transition. Wood supply for the remaining industry will be guaranteed at a volume of high quality sawlog of at least 155,000 cubic meters per year and 265 000 cubic metres of peeler billets per year. In addition, as agreed by the Kelty process, speciality timber will be provided, noting that the industry claim is 12500 cubic metres per year, subject to verification. Existing contracts for wood supply will be honoured and the Australian government will fund a voluntary exit mechanism to enable further native wood supply capacity to be retired and reserve areas increased when suitable plantation wood supply is available. This mechanism will be completed by the end of the 2011-12 financial year.

2. 430,000 hectares of nominated native forest, from within the 572,000 hectares nominated by the Environmental NGOs, through the signatories, will be placed in immediate informal reserve by the state, subject to an independent verification process led by Professor Jonathan West. Verification of the boundaries of these 430,000 hectares will take place as soon as possible. This interim forest area will be protected from logging while the verification process is completed, subject to the agreed requirements of existing contracts, consistent with the Kelty process. This verification process will verify the boundaries and conservation value of the nominated areas and the level of reserve from the nominated 572 000 hectares compatible with the guaranteed supply outlined above. The process will be conducted by a body independent of both Governments and all other stakeholders and resourced by the Australian Government. The process will be led by Professor Jonathan West and a group of experts jointly nominated by the Australian and Tasmanian governments. The group will use its best endeavours to report to the Prime Minister and Premier by the end of 2011. The verification process will include opportunities for stakeholders and community members to contribute to and review the modelling of options and outcomes as far as possible. These findings will determine the area of HCV forest to be reserved. The Australian Government will provide funding for the verification process.

3. The Tasmanian Government will immediately regulate to guarantee wood supply and, by the end of the 2011-12 financial year, will legislate to formally protect the reserved areas of HCV forest with appropriate forms of land tenure which may include National Park and World Heritage status, compatible with other economic development opportunities.

4. An ongoing commitment to economic development will be implemented through a partnership to pursue successful regional economic development. A regional Development Ministerial Advisory Council chaired by Bill Kelty has been appointed to lead the support for regional development opportunities in Tasmania and Professor Jonathan West will undertake a study to identify those opportunities. The initial stages of this process will include consultation with the community and stakeholders to identify the further work and the transition plan required for successful delivery of the supply and protection commitments formalised through the operation of this agreement, and the identification of other opportunities for regional economic development.

5. The two governments will work in partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding for Place-based investment. The Australian Government will commit $120 million over a period of 15 years, which includes an initial payment of $20m in 2011-12, to fund regional development projects which meet rigorous criteria for improving the productivity and income-earning capacity of the Tasmanian economy. The Australian government will provide $7million per year on an ongoing basis to support the costs of reserve management for the increased areas of forest protected under this agreement. Each of these ongoing payments will be subject to the passage of the legislation described in clause 3.

6. This agreement creates the chance to move on from a divisive conflict and build a stronger future for the Tasmanian community. The Australian and Tasmanian governments have a clear expectation that, with the formalisation of this agreement, the long running conflict over native forestry in Tasmania will come to an end and that stakeholders and signatories to the Kelty process will reflect this resolution of conflict in their own conduct and use their good offices to make clear their expectations of the conduct of other like-minded organisations.

7. The two governments expect that, as a result of this agreement, the Triabunna mill will reopen and be operated in accordance with the statement of principles and the terms of this agreement. The two governments also expect that, as a result of the implementation of this agreement, relevant organisations will support the provision of FSC certification for appropriate remaining forestry activity in Tasmania.

8. The Australian Government will provide the Tasmanian Government with an immediate payment of $43 million to facilitate the implementation of the agreement. This fund will be used for a range of activities including community consultation and the provision of information in order to facilitate understanding of this agreement and to establish the Tasmanian regional development process and providing voluntary compensable exits to sawmillers wishing to exit the native forest industry.

9. The Australian and Tasmanian Governments will work together to examine and identify potential opportunities from the Biodiversity Fund arising from increased forest reserves.

10. The two Governments will work together to support Rural Alive and Well workers to provide support to community members suffering from the stress caused by this transition.

11. The two Governments will formalise this agreement through an Intergovernmental agreement which will be signed within two weeks of today and includes agreed implementation and reporting structures. Implementation arrangements will include a process to continue involvement of the signatories in relevant aspects of delivering this agreement, including the verification process and other aspects of the statement of principles not covered by these Heads of Agreement.

12. Payments under this agreement will have no impact on GST funding to Tasmania.

Premier Lara Giddings
Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke
Deputy Premier Bryan Green

Download as PDF

Carbon Forestry Could Save Marginal Farms

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 07:22:00 GMT

Cash from carbon makes forestry a much more attractive proposition than livestock farming on poorer hill country according to a collaborative study led by Crown Research Institute Scion for Waikato Regional Council. The study examined three aspects: the opportunity to the land owner, the opportunity to Waikato Regional Council, and investment structures for carbon forestry.

Generally it showed that by planting fast growing exotic trees now, landowners could expect positive cash flows from carbon within 5 years, depending on individual circumstances.

Study leader Graham West from Scion says that by providing an early cash flow from the sale of carbon credits, carbon forestry overcomes the typical 30-year delay in getting a return from forest planting. The study shows that for pruned Radiata pine, timber returns are around $90/ha/year on today’s prices. By combining timber returns with revenue from carbon, returns can increase more than five-fold to between $160-$520/ha/year for carbon prices of $7.50/t CO2-e to $30/t CO2-e.

“The economic benefits of carbon forestry are generally very positive as long as the appropriate sites are targeted,” says Mr West. For poorer classes of land, particularly eroding hill country, carbon forestry offers a number of financial and environmental advantages. The relative returns with livestock farming depend on livestock carrying capacity, the importance of current cash flow, tree species and management.

Waikato Regional Council senior manager John Simmons says the outcome of better land use offers great opportunities for the Waikato region. “Council sees opportunities for regional landowners to benefit from aggregation of credits, and is proposing a regional scheme whereby Council acts as facilitator between landowners and investors,” says Mr Simmons.

“Carbon forestry has for the first time made the cash flow possible to build resilience into farm incomes and help with succession. By aiding land use change, the typical challenges each generation of hill country farmers face of debt, erosion, and scrub reversion can be substantially mitigated.” These findings arise from a report written for Waikato Regional Council by Scion in collaboration with AgResearch and Hardwood Management Ltd. A copy of the report can be obtained from www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/carbonstrategy.

Study leader Graham West will be presenting at the country’s first Carbon Forestry event, Carbon Forestry 2011 planned for Auckland on 13-14 July. The event is already attracting huge interest from forestry, financial and investment companies. Full details on this year's carbon forum can be found on www.carbonforestryevents.com.

Credit: www.fridayoffcuts.com

New Report: Opportunities for Carbon Forestry in Australia

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 07:36:00 GMT

This report is a CSIRO investigation of the profitability of forestry for a wide range of scenarios and is a discussion of practical constraints to widespread expansion of trees to sequester carbon dioxide in the agricultural landscape.

New tree plantings can be established in agricultural landscapes to sequester carbon dioxide and help-offset greenhouse gas emissions. In assessing the potential impacts of a carbon offsets scheme, a common question typically is 'to what extent might agricultural land be converted to tree plantings?'

This report begins to address at least part of that issue through analyses of economic returns from tree plantings to offset carbon emissions and discussion of practical constraints to widespread expansion of these planting types. The economic analyses acknowledge that calculated profitability depends upon assumptions used in the modelling.

The work is an investigation of the profitability of forestry under a wide range of assumptions of carbon price, plantation establishment costs, growth rates of trees and discount rates. The results from each scenario identify potential areas of opportunity for carbon forestry for that set of model assumptions.

The scenarios are not predictions of the extent of land use change to forests, for which many other social and market factors need to be considered.

Download the Report