August 2012 field day

A sunny Sunday at the 1100 acre Upper Myall property was appreciated by 17 people. The day started with discussion of conservation areas and roading and drainage works. Following a tender process with the CMA, a 300 acre conservation area was established for 15 years, during which time no silviculture activities can occur. An upfront payment from the CMA will cover maintenance, including weed control, cattle exclusion, maintaining fire trails. The practical advice was that road slopes be restricted to 10 degrees if possible and culverts rather than rollovers be used for long term reliability. A minimum pipe diameter of 375mm is recommended to facilitate clearing debris.
The group then drove through the forest stopping to inspect the conservation area, various road sections and drainage structures, and sites where fence posts had been prepared and boards milled with a portable mill. A notably feature was the change in forest type from the dry ridges to wetter gullies.
There was an informative discussion on log pricing. Best price comes from first product ie poles, piles, girders then second product ie sawlogs. The golden rule is that the property owner maintains control of the harvest and sells to a variety of markets.