“What sort of wood will be processed in the proposed pulp mill?
The primary wood source for this project will be plantation-grown eucalypts, regrowth forest eucalypts and a small proportion of plantation pine. No old growth logs will be used in the pulp mill.”
It looks like the wood deal information will be released soon
” Lyons Greens MHA Tim Morris said the decision was “ground- breaking” and could bring to light information on where the wood would be taken from, its quality, how the supply would change over time and adjustment factors on price - such as if the wood price would be linked to the global pulp price.”
we dont know the details ‘yet’ i but have read that up to 80% ‘could’ need to from old growth forests, increasing old growth logging from 3 million tonnes a year to over 7 milion.
Gunns have blatantly broken a promise and contradict their published data…
ho hum
Posted by banjo pickin wood nerd on 15/04/07 at 12:16 PM
The week ahead: Let the blame game begin
Oh Bob,
Like it or not, the responsible (or otherwise) management of the forest and plantation sawlog resources will be ‘x-rayed’ by more than just the usual suspects from now on.
It should come as no surprise that the special deals that have been done in the public’s name, especially where you and your mates have collaborated in, over the last decade and a half or so, will need to be reassessed in detail.
The huge dilemma that Tasmania’s community is now facing and that will increase in years to come be it in pine sawmilling or the reduction in fine grown timbers, is in fact man made.
Whilst the ‘blame game’ had not surfaced so far, it does however become blatantly obvious, that some of the senior foresters have not done what should and could have been expected by the public investors, the local community and not least Tasmania’s future generations.
In other words, it now appears certain that senior management must have instructed that more timber has been logged, harvested and exported than in reality was/ is growing.
The obligation of sustainable management is clear; to treat tree plantations simply like annual agricultural crops, traded on the day to day money market does not reflect best practice.
The obligation of so called “continued improvement” in forest management, as defined in various guidelines and formal agreements, in national and international treaties appear to have been violated against by someone in this state.
Here a few hints for you to think about:
What is Illegal Logging? http://abc.net.au/4corners/content/2002/timber_mafia/resources/resources_illegal_logging.htm
Illegal logging is not always a clearly defined term, but can be described as forestry practices or activities connected with wood harvesting, processing and trade that do not conform to law. Illegalities occur right through the chain from source to consumer, the harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including corrupt means to gain access to forests, extraction without permission or from a protected area, cutting of protected species or extraction of timber in excess of agreed limits. Illegalities may also occur during transport, including illegal processing and export as well as misdeclaration to customs, before the timber enters the legal market.
Other examples of illegal logging are:
• Underreporting harvest volumes and tax payable
• Ignoring selective cutting guidelines
• Harvesting outside concession boundaries
• Falsifying log transport documents
• Accepting falsified log transport documents
Timber can also be considered illegal if the plantations are not properly managed.
This includes:
• Clear-cutting natural forest, then failing to replant
• Not planting at rates required to maintain long-term production
• Replanting with low-quality species
• Replanting at low density
Thus the definition covers many areas. Furthermore, discrepancies exist between countries in defining illegality. The Royal Institute for International Affairs states in its report
[ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/pdf/briefing_papers/tradeinillegaltimber.pdf ] that common definitions of illegality are needed if the timber is to be effectively controlled.
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