1996 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.