As we celebrate International Day of Forests today, it is important to remember that sustainability is front of mind with everything we do at VicForests.

This year’s theme of International Day of Forests is Forests and Sustainable Production and Consumption, which is the only way forward for forestry around the world.

At VicForests we are committed to sustainable and responsible harvesting and protecting our wildlife and our native forests is central to everything we do.

VicForests harvests timber species such as mountain ash, alpine ash and shining gum, resulting in products that are used every day by Victorians such as pallets, dining room tables, beds, books, staircases, floorboards, fences, musical instruments and a range of other everyday and essential products.

As leaders in sustainable forest management our activities are informed by the latest research and guided by best practice.

Through this approach our forest management continues to evolve, incorporating an increased focus on the inter-relationships of forest ecosystems, balancing ecological and social factors with responsible economic practices.

Forestry products are vital for society and their production faces many challenges such as biodiversity issues, climate change, and supply shortages.

To ensure high-quality products and healthy, thriving forests, it is vital we continue to embark on active forest management to improve forest resilience and store carbon.

Since 2019, we have expanded our application of variable retention harvesting and are now retaining a significant number of trees in each coupe for current and future habitats of native species as part of our long-term approach to sustainable forest management.

Variable retention harvesting is achieved by assessing all coupes for the presence of threatened species and habitat values, especially hollow-bearing trees.

VicForests plans for retention and enhancement of habitat values through protecting hollow-bearing trees, recruiting future hollow-bearing trees, connecting habitat patches and using lower intensity regeneration burning operations.

A recent report into ecosystem decline in Victoria by the Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee acknowledged that VicForests’ adoption of adaptive, variable retention forestry went above and beyond the current requirements of the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014 (as amended November 2021).

This renewed focus on variable retention harvesting is a key part of ensuring that Victorian forests will continue to thrive sustainably today, tomorrow and for generations to come.

It’s important to us that anyone who buys timber products harvested by VicForests can be secure in the knowledge that it has been harvested responsibly, sustainably and with care and respect for our forests.

VicForests takes its role as responsible forest managers seriously and it is proud of its work in maintaining Victoria’s wonderfully diverse forests for the enjoyment of future generations.