Forestry Tasmania aiming for a perfect record

Now, following an extensive review, FT is aiming for a perfect record and will embrace the following guidelines:
How we will seek to achieve zero exceedances.
1. Days with poor smoke dispersion will be declared “no burn days”.
2. The burn season will start earlier and finish later to reduce the number of burns on any given day.
3. The Forest Practices Authority will determine how much smoke can enter an airshed.
We will improve our communications.
Forest industry planned burns are published daily on the plannedburnstas.com.au website.
To further improve communications, we will issue:
• daily advisories of intended burns at or before 11am on the morning of planned burns;
• an appraisal of smoke management outcomes each night, and where necessary an explanation of unexpected outcomes; and
• a notification to media to alert residents, when we have reason to believe a regeneration burn has contributed, or may contribute to poor air quality.
What is considered in planning and performing a burn?
Before any burn takes place, our planners consider:
• prevailing and forecast weather conditions;
• Bureau of Meteorology atmospheric stability monitoring (important for smoke dispersal);
• moisture levels in the fuel and surrounding forest (important for fire intensity and safety);
• minimising smoke production; and
• likely effects on towns and events downwind of the proposed burn.
Do planned burns contribute to Tasmania’s carbon emissions?
Tasmania’s state forests absorb and store three times more carbon each year than is emitted by FT’s planned burns.
Each year, our growing forests absorb about six million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Fire is essential for regeneration. If we didn’t need to use fire, we wouldn’t.
Fire is an important part of the life cycle of wet eucalypt forests. Eucalypt seeds and seedlings need a mineral soil seedbed, abundant sunlight and reduced competition from other plants to establish and grow. In nature, this happens naturally through wildfires.
What happens if Forestry Tasmania doesn’t conduct regeneration burns?
In wet eucalypt forest, regeneration of harvested areas will not be successful.
When will the regeneration burns start?
In previous years we set an arbitrary date of March 15, as the start date. This year, as a trial, we will begin the burns when conditions are suitable which may be prior to March 15.
Why do regeneration burns take place in autumn?
It is the safest time to do so.
What happens after the burns?
Eucalypt seeds collected from locally harvested trees are sown at a rate of 62,500 seeds per hectare from a helicopter on to the still warm seedbed. In a few weeks, the seeds germinate and as the trees grow, the understorey also regenerates.
The new forest will look similar to the one it replaced.
How others can help improve air quality this autumn.
Many landowners or managers burn during autumn. Forestry Tasmania, the Parks and Wildlife Service and the Tasmania Fire Service use sophisticated meteorological models and data to minimise the effect of smoke on the community. Unfortunately, other land holders do not have access to this information.
Farmers, orchardists and others should avoid burning damp or green vegetation on days with poor air dispersal or when smoke is already present in the airshed.
The burning of green waste can significantly contribute to smoke pollution, and impact on people’s health, tourism events and cause smoke taint for wine grapes.