Forest policy directions in the twenty-first century

Summary

Policies have considerable inertia and are therefore slow to change. Australian forest policy has been criticised for its overemphasis on wood production in general and on exotic conifers in particular. The eucalypt forest certainly has the biological capacity to sustain much greater yields than at present, given enough time and the right silvicultural inputs. The dominance of timber production is reflected in forestry legislation though not always explicitly. However the absence of statutory policy directives need not inhibit multiple-use management and change in this direction is occurring. Nevertheless, foresters have yet to adopt the same professional approach to managing the non-wood resource that marks their attitude to timber management. Forest services cannot escape their responsibility to provide wood for society's needs but must do so in the context of rational land-use planning. There is a need for more formal public involvement in the decision-making process. Forest policy in the 21st century must continue to conform with national socio-economic policy but must also be seen as part of a national conservation strategy which embraces both utilisation and preservation. The Institute's role is to provide objective analyses of policy alternatives and it will lose credibility if it is perceived as a lobby group for the forest services or the forest products industry. It could act as a catalyst for national consensus by calling for a conference on forest conservation policies as a follow-up to FORWOOD.