Bass District recognised for excellence

Mark Neyland
Principal Research Officer
Native Forests

Forestry Tasmania has recognised the staff of Bass District for achieving excellence in regrowing native forests following harvesting, through the presentation of the perpetual Gilbert-Cunningham Trophy.

This is the sixth year that Forestry Tasmania has presented the Gilbert Cunningham trophy for ‘Excellence in Native Forest Silviculture’. Since its inception we have seen a steady improvement in native forest quality standard outcomes. With such a high standard across all Districts, it was a challenging task for the judges to select only the one winner.

The Gilbert Cunningham Trophy is named after Dr. J. M. (Max) Gilbert and Dr. T. M. (Murray) Cunningham.

Max Gilbert completed the first PhD in forestry and forest ecology in Tasmania in 1958, in which he identified the key processes in the regeneration of wet eucalypt forests. Murray Cunningham completed a PhD on the ecology of Eucalyptus regnans forests in 1960. Together, they led the development of the clearfell, burn and sow system in the 1960s. This enabled the systematic regeneration of forests after harvesting. Max Gilbert headed the research branch of the Forestry Commission in the 1960s and 1970s; Murray Cunningham rose to become the Commissioner responsible for forest management in the 1980s.

Bass District achieved the following results for 2009:

• 68% of the coupes sown achieved the seed provenance standard – well above the State average of 55%. 97% of the seed sown was collected either on or close to the coupe to be sown.
• All of the regenerated area met the stocking standard and all sowing operations met the sowing delay quality standard.
• The District continued its good track record of achieving excellent site preparation, browsing management, regeneration survey and silvicultural audit outcomes.

Murchison District, despite having the largest CBS native forests works program to manage, came a very honourable second. They were hampered this year by a wet late burning season that led to less than desirable outcomes for site preparation on some coupes.

The standard of results presented was excellent, and maintained the pattern of the last ten years of consistently high quality outcomes. This year, 93% of harvested coupes were successfully regenerated – and most of the coupes that failed to reach the standard did so only by small margins. The District staff responsible for achieving this program and the generally high quality standard outcomes are to be congratulated.

As the plantation establishment program is reaching its conclusion, most coupes are being regenerated to native forests. The sowing program for this year required a record 3 tonnes of seed – about 180 million seeds. Over 95% of the seed sown was collected either on or close to the coupe to be sown.