Early harvest debated

• Published date: 11 April 2024
• Publication title: Mountain Scene

Veteran forester Jim Childerstone believes council would have been far better off harvesting the 175-hectare forest after almost 45 years rather than 31, as he and other foresters had advised

He says on council figures, its ‘profits’ from harvesting the forest, between 2020 and May last year, came to about $10,500 per ha, excluding planting, pruning, thinning and management costs.

At the same time, he points out other Douglas fir forests were returning $20,000 to $25,000 per ha.

In response to his official information request, council says the profit yielded from the site was $1,895,840, and both the profits and yield were higher than first predicted.

Spokesman Sam White says Douglas fir forests are usually harvested after 40 years. Since 80% of Coronet was planted in 1984-85, they were harvested after 36 to 38 years, not 31.

He notes 85% of respondents to public submissions on the 2017 Coronet Forest management plan favoured an early harvest.

Council’s reasoning was the forest was a major seed source for the rapid spread of noxious wilding pines.

According to the management plan, ‘‘the cost to control the spread from the forest if it was harvested at maturity (youngest stands in 2039) has increased to an estimated $8.5million to control around 5500ha of infested land’’.

Childerstone...