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Slopes, Felling, and Post Harvest Management
"No felling of trees on slopes of 30os and above."(SLA, Clause 8)
The safety of machinery operators aside, the steepness of these slopes meant that machines were operated directly up and down the slopes, as traversing them would be both dangerous and often impractical. The erosive ability of the frequent high intensity rainfall events in the study area is increased dramatically on slopes where the native vegetation cover has been disturbed to the extent that soil surfaces and litter layer are substantively disrupted or removed from the slope. Machinery on the steeper slopes within the study area travelled these areas with the blade down totally removing litter layers and disrupting top soil layers. Older logging areas had deep erosion gullies running along the former skid tracks and extraction tracks. These activities are incompatible with sound environmental management practices.
Contrary to the recommendations expressed in the Code, the cutting and felling operations appear to have been based upon the displacement of stems and the need for expediency in log removal. As a consequence excessive canopy loss and soil disturbance resulted across all areas of the study area.
Post harvest management of all logged over areas was poor with erosion, little significant commercial canopy retention and rampant vine growth (particularly Merremia peltata) all resulting in a residual stand and landscape which continues to input high sediment loads into waterways and contiguous marine areas. Observations would suggest that little confidence in a subsequent commercial yield would be possible from these logged over areas for many decades to come - certainly not within a time frame of significance to either company or landholder.