• Optimising the benefits which forests can provide to the community, with the goals of maintaining and or enhancing:
  • the ecological processes of forested land,
  • biodiversity,
  • economic benefits within environmental constraints,
  • conflict resolution, and
  • the options available to future generations.

The Working Group states that the principles of ecologically sustainable forest use will require the development of a policy framework and approaches which recognise three requirements:

• maintaining ecological processes within the forests;
• maintaining biodiversity; and
• optimising benefits to the community from all uses within ecological constraints.

Ecological processes

Maintaining the ecological basis of forested land, (the formation of soil, the energy, carbon, nutrient and water cycles) is an absolute requirement to ensure that forest ecosystems have the capacity to reconstruct. Permanent land clearing and inappropriate activities in forests have significant impacts on ecological processes. There is currently a lack of comprehensive controls over clearing and timber harvesting on private land and on all commercial users of public forests, and considerable variation between the States and local government in their approach.

Recommendations:

• State and Territory agencies responsible for conservation, commercial and all other uses in public forests develop ways to achieve ecologically sustainable forest use;
• enforceable codes of practice to minimise adverse impacts on the ecological processes of forests be applied to all users of public forests and to wood production in private forests;
• that there be controls over permanent land clearing of public and private forests;
• managers of public forests continue to monitor, and adjust as necessary, harvesting rates based on sustainable yields;
• we continue to improve understanding of ecosystem dynamics, forest growth rates and ways for calculating sustainable yields.

Biological diversity

Maintaining the biological diversity of forests is also an absolute requirement because of the interdependencies within forest ecosystems and because it underpins nature conservation and most of the requirements for ESD.

The information base from which an understanding of the forest ecosystem can be developed is a prerequisite for effective conservation management.

The first priority must be to protect and maintain forest biodiversity through a comprehensive network of reserves which encompass adequate representative areas of all major forest ecosystems, complementary off-reserve management in public forests and sympathetic management by private forest owners.

Recommendations:

• priority be given to ensuring maintenance of forest biodiversity through: research, establishment or extension of a network of secure, viable and properly managed reserves, establishment of management regimes on non-reserved land that will enhance survival of biodiversity;
• comprehensive assessment of 'unlogged' and 'ecologically mature' forests in Australia, identifying their value for conservation, wood production and wilderness;
• provide incentives for private owners to maintain and manage forests for nature conservation and maintenance of habitat for rare or endangered species, through technical advice and financial support;
• fostering of nature conservation ethic amongst communities. in particular farming and private forest communities, through education and public awareness programs.

Optimising benefits

Optimising the benefits to the community from all uses relates to current and future material and non-material well-being from conservation and commercial activities.

Recommendations:

• identify and consider all tangible and intangible forest values and potential uses and benefits;
• incorporate extensive public consultation;
• take into account the need to address commercial and conservation issues using appropriate ecological and social regions, and acknowledge national and international aspects;
• use conflict resolution mechanisms.

Land use

Attaining ESD in the forest sector will first require that land use decision-making processes are based on a sound understanding of ecosystem needs and the consideration of all forest values. ESD will also require the removal of institutional, structural, cultural and policy impediments, the resolution of conflict and the establishment of appropriate linkages with other sectors to minimise adverse cross-sectoral impacts.

Recommendations:

• that Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments avoid fragmentation and duplication of land-use decisions by jointly developing decision-making process for reaching land-use decisions;
• urgent development required of intergovernmental agreements on forest management.

The Forest Use Working Group also dealt in detail with ways to optimise economic benefits within ecological constraints, developing a dynamic and competitive wood processing industry, development of the resource base, how to make best use of and preserve the intangible benefits of forests, national estate issues, research, education and training, conflict resolution and forest use and the greenhouse effect.

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