Identifying and managing forest values
We take our responsibility of sustainably harvesting coupes within our state forests for today and future generations seriously. Protecting our precious wildlife in our native forests is central to everything we do.
Our management of values are steered by science and global best practice. To help achieve this, we work closely with scientists, universities, land managers, and other relevant stakeholders. This helps guide the sustainable harvest and regeneration of forests for the Victorian public.
Forest management
We deliver social, economic and ecological outcomes, within regulatory and commercial requirements. We do this by understanding the inter-relationships of forest ecosystems, actively assessing and reporting the impacts of our activities, and aiming to balance the benefits over the long term.
Our activities are guided by our Forest Management Plan that has been developed in collaboration with our stakeholders and is regularly reviewed and updated to align with current practices.
Managing High Conservation Values
High conservation values (HCVs) are biological, ecological, social or cultural values of high importance.
Managing these values is key to our role and responsibilities within the forests we operate.
The management framework for HCVs within Victoria’s State forest is set out in VicForests: Management of High Conservation Values.
Harvesting and regeneration systems
Our approach to forest management has evolved over our history to ensure we are operating with the best advice available to us.
In 2019 we implemented harvesting and regeneration reforms with a firm focus on biodiversity and high conservation values.
As such we have an increased focus on adaptive approaches to selecting and applying harvesting and regeneration systems that retain and protect a broad range of forest values.
These adaptive measures allow increased flexibility in the application of our operations and provide VicForests with an improved social licence to operate.
Our forest management systems are outlined in VicForests’ harvesting and regeneration systems.
Pre-harvest surveys
We manage a vast array of social, environmental, and economic values during comprehensive pre-harvest surveys. The Office Conservation Regulator (OCR) also conducts pre-harvest surveys in coupes with highest priority through the Forest Protection Survey Program (FPSP).
Key values include the identification and management of:
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threatened flora and fauna
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old growth forest
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rainforest
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cultural heritage.
We use a risk-based approach for every coupe to determine what and when forest values are to be surveyed for, and the most appropriate survey methods.
These surveys tell us which prescriptions are needed to protect important environmental and cultural values specific to each area or coupe, such as retaining hollow-bearing trees to protect species that live and dwell within them.
VicForests' operations are subject to strict Victorian laws and enforced by the OCR.