How cities benefit from a healthy forest

Reviewing a recent FOI request in WA for a 2013 document gave an insight into how the Institute has, for some time, been driving governments to adopt forest management practices that lead to better environmental outcomes.

National President of the Institute of Foresters of Australia, Mr Bob Gordon said, ‘In 2013 the Institute recommended a program to thin some 65 000 hectares of high-rainfall jarrah catchment forest, a recommendation which was subsequently included in the Conservation Commission's draft Forest Management Plan 2014-2023.

‘However, the proposal - available on the Institute’s website - to thin forest (silviculture for water production) is unfunded.

‘Considerable thinning has been done on a trial basis, with promising results, and while the science is sound, practicalities of how and when the thinning occurs will affect the water yield outcomes - but the positive impact is obvious.

‘Improved forest management will enhance biodiversity and improve stream and forest health, and potentially save the State several million dollars each year.

‘While water - particularly affordable water – has long been a contentious issue in Perth; climate change is likely to make this issue even more prominent.

‘Solutions such as desalination and waste water recovery have their part to play, but actively managing catchments reaps the biggest dividend in biodiversity, forest health and cheap, clean drinking water.

‘Forests and Sustainable Cities’ was the theme for International Forests Day in 2018 and later this year, the Institute of Foresters of Australia and the Australian Forest Growers are holding a combined conference in Canberra called: Forests for healthy cities, farms and people.

‘From 2-5 September international and local experts will speak about the increasing importance of catchments and urban forests to our growing cities, the continuing importance of trees on farms, and the links between healthy tree-scapes and healthy people‘, said Bob.

More information about the conference is at https://forestry.org.au/ifa/about-the-conference

Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0yram8ae0pmi2ra/AACO8qwcSTfNRJEkHAHE7W0pa?dl=0