Sustainable private native forestry – timber production, biodiversity and soil and water indicators and their applicability to northeast NSW

What the report is about Private Native Forests are a dominant part of the landscape in northeast NSW and their future is a matter of great debate. Private Native Forests are an essential component in the supply of building materials to the public, and have historically contributed significantly to regional economic activity.These contributions have been made from the matrix of managed and reserved lands that also providea complex array of environmental benefits. Sustaining the flow of these benefits is important forlandowners, timber and tourism industries, and regional communities in northeast NSW. In recent decades society has expressed concerns about how to integrate forest management techniques for timber production with those that improve the condition of the physical and biological environment. This report reviews our knowledge base of native forest silviculture in this region, including what is known about the current condition of private native forests. Secondly, the report reviews the use of indicators of sustainable maintenance of habitat and discusses their major strengths and weaknesses.