Planning
VicForests' planners are highly skilled in mapping, threatened species identification and protection and forest measurement.
The planning process begins with a computer-based assessment that includes a review of forest management zones, identified threatened flora and fauna habitat, water (hydrological) features, cultural sites, forest types and other important environmental features.
A field assessment is then conducted to identify other relevant features which may not have been recognised by the computer assessment. These include:
• the presence of unmapped hydrological features (streams, creeks, pools)
• threatened flora and fauna habitat or signs of threatened fauna presence
• specific forest communities, such as areas of rainforest
• sites of cultural significance
If any of these features are present, our operational plans are modified to ensure they are protected from harvesting operations. Operational maps also show topographical features, timber species and volume, as well as, all roads and tracks, are also assessed and their locations marked on our operational maps.
Approval of coupes
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) assesses and approves all coupe-level plans prior to harvesting. This ensures these plans meet various legislative requirements regarding sustainable timber production, including prescriptions outlined in Forest Management Plans and relevant threatened species Action Statements.
Once DSE are confident these requirements have been met, a Timber release Plan (TRP) is approved and harvesting may proceed.
These images show the same coupe area. The first image is a computer generated map which identifies protected areas (in this coupe a Special Protection Zone) and streams and associated buffers. The second image shows the final harvested area following the protection of these features. GPS mapping errors may occur, highlighting the importance of the field check process. This is evident by the unmapped stream that was found in the north western corner of the coupe.
Also, the stream located in the north eastern section of the coupe did not begin until closer to the boundary. After the field check identified these errors, the management prescriptions in the coupe plan were changed to protect both the recorded streams andadditional streams identified.
