Code of Forest Practices for Timber Production
November 1996; Page 23,24
2.3.7 Protection of Rainforest
Goal: Rainforest must be excluded from timber harvesting, and because rainforest communities may be particularly vulnerable to adjacent disturbance, they should be surrounded by an appropriate buffer.
Guidelines:
- areas of rainforest must be defined, and a strategy for their management must be included as part of planning for conservation of flora and fauna in Forest Management Plans and/or in the relevant prescriptions. The most important areas should be accorded highest protection;
- in the absence of detailed strategies within approved Forest Management Plan, which address regional characteristics, the following prescriptions will apply
(i) for stands of lesser significance – 40 m buffers, or 20m exclusion plus a 40m modified harvesting strip (> 40% of basal area retained, low machine disturbance, minimal burning);
(ii) for stands where Nothofagus makes up >20 % of the canopy – buffers of 60 m, or 40 m buffer with 40m modified harvesting zone (> 40% of basal area retained, low machine disturbance, minimal burning);
(iii) for stands containing nationally significant rainforest – the highest degree of protection generally sub-catchment level, except where full protection can be provided by other measures, which are/will be outlined in approved plans
- rainforest areas must be shown on the Forest Coupe Plan and buffers identified in the field
- buffers must be protected from damage caused be trees felled in adjacent areas.
Note: These protection levels may be adjusted prior to the next Code review depending on the results of further research into rainforest protection.
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