The Forest Products Commission WA (FPC) has begun salvage operations in coupes damaged by the 2016 Yarloop fire. Source: Timberbiz
Forester Jane Charles said that the fire burnt through over 50,000 hectares of state forest, including several recently harvested native forest coupes.
“We’ve started a salvage operation at Nanga 0311, four years after our last operation, to remove the dead and badly damaged trees,” Ms Charles said.
The harvested fire damaged logs are not suitable for sawlogs and are being sold as firewood and as char logs for Simcoa.
The harvesting crew, Total Harvesting, is new to native forest operations and is normally engaged in harvesting our pine plantations.
“They found the native forest work challenging to start with, as the trees are not growing in straight lines, although adapted quickly to the native forest,” Ms Charles said.
The FPC has been working with the Parks and Wildlife Service to preserve the trees which are showing signs of life, and those which will hopefully provide habitat in the future.
Following the operation, the Silviculture team lead by Manager Silviculture and Operations Services North, Todd Brittain will re-assess the site for natural regeneration of the trees from lignotubers and coppice as well as seedlings. This assessment will then determine if the forest would benefit from additional seeding in the future.
