CONTENTS
NATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT
Forest Reserves contain important remnants
of South Australia’s native forests, particularly in high
rainfall areas of the Ranges and Green Triangle Regions. These
remnants are often intermingled with ForestrySA’s
commercial plantations and other vegetation. ForestrySA manages
24 300 hectares of such conservation areas as part of its
community forestry activities. ForestrySA stakeholders,
including conservation groups, value these areas since many
exist as important islands of diverse flora and fauna.
Most significant areas have been gazetted
as Native Forest Reserves under the Forestry Act. This delivers
legislative protection equivalent to Conservation and National
Parks, enables greater control over activities within the
Reserves, and ensures their recognition as important components
of the State’s conservation reserve system. These areas
are actively managed including pest plant and animal control,
fire protection, prescribed burning, revegetation and the
promotion of natural regeneration.
ForestrySA has been working with the
Nature Conservation Society for several years to develop
management strategies for a number of grassy woodland sites
within Forest Reserves. Eight plans have been developed for
sites at Mount Crawford, Kuitpo and Second Valley Forest
Reserves. The plans provide guidance for the careful management
of the areas, including minimal disturbance weeding involving
hand swabbing and the spot application of herbicide.
A twenty-five year strategy was commenced
during 2003-2004 to establish 21 wildlife corridors in the
Lower South East that will link Native Forest Reserves. While
the majority of corridors will be through ForestrySA land, they
also include Department for Environment and Heritage Reserves,
and some private land and road reserves. In many cases the
corridors are being established with native vegetation
replacing pine plantations after planned harvesting operations.
These corridors are between 40 and 80 metres wide, will stretch
to a total length of 15 kilometres and will be planted with
native trees, shrubs and understorey.
The Biodiversity Corridor strategy
demonstrates that ForestrySA’s management of plantation
forests for commercial production is in line with best practice
standards for forestry operations and environmental management.
It is hoped that other agencies and landholders will become
involved to expand the strategy to include opportunities in
addition to those associated with Forest Reserves. It is
expected that similar corridor strategies will be developed in
the Mt Lofty Ranges and southwest Victoria.
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