Enfield Forest Alliance
Our Forest
Our Community
Our Future
What is an RFA?
An RFA is an agreement between the State and Commonwealth Governments on the use and management of a region's forest resources (particularly for logging), and will be in force for the next 20 years. The West RFA covers a large area of Victoria (see map below), including the forests surrounding Ballarat, and the Enfield State Forest.
The Enfield State Forest
Although the Enfield State Park is excluded from the direct RFA influence, the Enfield State Forest has been earmarked for logging intensification. Due to it's inherently poor soils, low rainfall and long history of mining, the harvesting method chosen by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, is CLEARFELLING.
This means ALL vegetation - other that a maximum of three trees per hectare (3 trees per 2.47 acres) - will be cleared in areas up to 40 hectares (99 acres) at a time. The DNRE believe that their sawlog and export woodchipping quotas, clearfelling methods and the establishment and continuing maintenance of regeneration are all sustainable, & even beneficial.
WE HAVE SERIOUS DOUBTS!!
There are no guarantees & too many unanswered questions!
Where in the forest...
All the areas currently managed as general management zones by the DNRE in Enfield SF will be replaced for harvesting under the RFA proposal (over 4000ha). Apparently, not all will be clearfelled - a very small proportion will be thinned for later clearing. Overall, though, the forest is going to be cleared so that the poor quality forests of today may (possibly) become economically valuable in 100 plus years time !!! Meanwhile we lose our socially and environmentally valuable forest until then, on the off-chance the forest grows back like the DNRE think it might, & then it will be logged again
...AND THIS IS MEANT TO BE SUSTAINABLE??
There are many concerns how the forest will cope with this harvesting system, and how it will also affect the many communities. We have divided these problems into three sections:
|
|
|
|
|
SOCIAL |
ENVIRONMENTAL |
INDUSTRY SUSTAINABILITY |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So what can we do?
There are many steps we can take to ensure a better balance between community, economics and environment. Some are just suggestions on more sensitive coupe management and harvesting systems, others are large scale actions to force more appropriate policies and legislation to protect our forests, and the rights of forest users.
Remember, although the RFA process is being rushed through so that export woodchip quotas can be met for the start of the New Year, it also coincides with a imminent state election, so there is now a real opportunity for the community to make a lasting difference.
