KPI 4 Sustainability Forest Management

Protocols for Measuring and Reporting on the Key Performance Indicators of the Forest Management

Plan 2004-2013

Sustainable Forest Management Series

Department of Environment and Conservation SFM Manual No.2

2011

Commenced: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011 Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division of 180

Department of Environment and Conservation

17 Dick Perry Av, Western Precinct

Technology Park

Kensington

Western Australia 6151

Telephone (08) 9423 2333

Facsimile (08) 9423 2432

WEBSITE: www.dec.wa.gov.au

EMAIL: [email protected]

Reference details The recommended reference for this publication is: Department of Environment and Conservation 2011, Protocols for Measuring and Reporting on the Key Performance Indicators of the Forest Management Plan 2004-2013, Department of Environment and Conservation, Sustainable Forest Management Series, SFM Manual No. 2.

http://www.naturebase.net/


Table of Contents

Sustainable Forest Management Series ...................................................................................... 1

Table of Contents........................................................................................................................... 3

Preamble......................................................................................................................................... 5

Responsibilities ............................................................................................................................. 7

1. .............................. 9 KPI 1 - The representation of forest ecosystems in formal reserves

2.

.......................................................................................................... 16

KPI 2 - The status of (critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, conservation dependent) forest-dwelling species and ecological communities as determined by listing

3. ........................................ 22

KPI 3 - The status of selected threatened or conservation dependent species that are the subject of management actions to protect them

4. ............................................................ 27 KPI 4 - The area of native forest and plantations

5. ..................................................................................................... 32

KPI 5 - Annual removal of wood products compared to sustainable yield determined by the plan.

6. ............................................................................ 39 KPI 6 - Area of forest cut over annually

7. ............................................................................. 43 KPI 7 - Removal of non sawlog timber

8. ................................................... 47 KPI 8 - The presence of Sirex in softwood plantations

9. ..................................................................... 51 KPI 9 - Time to regenerate harvested areas

10. ......................... 56 KPI 10 - Effectiveness of regeneration of native forest and plantation

11. ............................. 62 KPI 11 - Forecast strategic timber yield versus actual timber yield.

12. ............. 63 KPI 12 - Achievement of early thinning schedules that underpin future yield

13. ................................. 64 KPI 13 - Direct and indirect employment in the timber industries

14. ........................................................................................... 67 KPI 14 - Access for apiculture

15. ............................................................................. 71 KPI 15 - Wildflowers and seed picking

16. ................................................................................................................................. 79

KPI 16 - Risk to conservation life property and other forest values posed by wildfire

17. ...... 85 KPI 17 - Severity status of weeds and pests as determined by subjective survey

18. ....................................................................... 93 KPI 18 - Effectiveness of dieback hygiene

19. ............................................................................................................. 94

KPI 19 - Annual flow weighted mean salinity and trend for streams in fully forested catchment

20. .................... 98

KPI 20 - Percentage of water bodies (e.g. stream kilometres, lake hectares) with significant variance of biodiversity from the historic range of variability

21. ............................ 102 KPI 21 - The level of soil damage resulting from timber harvesting

22. ................................................................................................ 109 KPI 22 - Water production

23. .................................... 115 KPI 23 - The identification and protection of cultural heritage

24. ...................................................................................................................... 127

KPI 24 - Consultation and involvement of Aboriginal people in forest management

25. ........ 129 KPI 25 - The protection of heritage places through representation in reserves

26. ........................................................................ 133

KPI 26 - Number, range and use of recreation/tourism activities available by proposed land category in the plan area


27. ................................................................................. 139 KPI 27 - Basic raw material supply

28. ....................................................................................... 152 KPI 28 - Adaptive management

29.

........................................................................................................................ 155

KPI 29 - Provide for public involvement activities and public education, awareness and extension programs and make available forest-related information

30. .. 162 KPI 30 - Develop and maintain human resource skills across relevant disciplines

31. .................................................................................................................... 168

KPI 31 - Development of scientific understanding of ecosystem characteristics and functions

32. ................................................................ 175 KPI 32 - Environmental management system

33. ............................................................................................ 177 KPI 33 - Operational control


Preamble The Forest Management Plan 2004-2013 (hereafter referred to as the Forest Management Plan) requires the development of protocols for 33 Key Performance Indicators (KPI). These performance indicators have been developed to assess the effectiveness of the plan in meeting its objectives and to measure progress towards the implementation of its proposals. The Montreal Criteria for sustainability were considered a suitable framework for developing performance indicators. They are grouped according to the following criteria:

the conservation of biodiversity;

the maintenance of productive capacity;

the maintenance of ecosystem health and vitality;

the conservation and maintenance of soil and water;

the maintenance of heritage;

the maintenance of socio-economic values; and

plan implementation. The Indicators are designed to measure any or all of the three elements of a management issue. These elements are:

the condition of the subject under consideration;

the pressure(s) that might be affecting the subject; and

the response to those pressures by management. Principles are necessary to select the most appropriate ‘key’ performance indicators. The principles used for the plan will relate to their capacity to:

represent community concerns;

operate at a range of scales;

satisfy other reporting requirements;

measure critical elements necessary for adaptive management; and

balance the provision of environmental and socio-economic benefits. The extent to which a performance indicator can be implemented may be limited by the availability of data for reporting, capacity to obtain measurable data, and the cost of implementation. Performance indicators therefore target ‘key’ aspects of the plan. This document provides the protocols for 20 of the 33 KPI in the Forest Management Plan. The other 13 KPI are not sufficiently developed to publish at this stage. This document will be updated to include the additional KPI as they become available for publication. The protocol for measuring and reporting each key performance indicator is divided into two sections. The first section details background information from the Forest Management Plan. This includes the overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to the broad criteria for sustainability, the specific objectives according to each criterion for sustainability, and relevant actions from the Forest Management Plan. Any text within this section of the document that is taken directly from the Forest Management Plan is shown in italics.


The second section outlines the protocol for reporting. This includes the specific objective for the KPI, rationale, background and context, issues (data quality and interpretation), the entity to be measured, required data, calculation method, reporting timeframes, and data presentation. A work instruction section provides further information about data collection and data presentation for the relevant custodians. Some protocols will differ marginally from this format due to the type of data required. The overall objective and actions of the Forest Management Plan in relation to Plan Implementation is: Objective: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to ensure that forest management is undertaken in accordance with the plan and is continually improved so as to achieve best practice: (Forest Management Plan p61) Monitoring and audit Objective: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to monitor and audit the extent to which management of land to which the plan applies is undertaken in accordance with the plan: Most relevant actions: 32.6 The Department, in consultation with the Conservation Commission, will develop a protocol

for each key performance indicator in the plan, which will: 32.6.1 identify the data to be collected and analysed in assessing the extent to which the

key performance indicator has been achieved; and 32.6.2 specify the persons who are responsible for the collection and analysis of that data.


Responsibilities The Forest Policy and Practices Branch of the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has undertaken the responsibility of developing the protocols for the KPI, in consultation with information custodians and the Conservation Commission, and will continue with this responsibility by completing this process for the remaining protocols as they become available. The Forest Policy and Practices Branch also has the role of collating the information provided by custodians for each of the KPI into an annual report. The responsibility for reporting against individual KPI falls to a range of custodians from within DEC and other agencies as identified in Table 1. Table 1: Reporting responsibilities for Key Performance Indicators for which approved

protocols have been developed

KPI Title of KPI Reporting timeframe

Relevant agencies/data custodians with reporting responsibilities

1 The representation of forest ecosystems in formal reserves

Biennially Information Management Branch Forest Management Branch Parks and Visitors Services Division

2 The status of (critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, conservation dependent) forest dwelling species and ecological communities as determined by listing.

Annually Nature Conservation Division

3 The status of selected threatened or conservation dependent species that are the subject of management actions to protect them.

Annually Nature Conservation Division

4 The area of native forests and plantations

Five years Forest Management Branch Forest Products Commission

5 Annual removal vs. Sustained yield Annually. Forest Products Commission Forest Management Branch

6 Area cutover annually Annually. Forest Management Branch

7 Removal of non - Sawlog timber Five years. Forest Policy and Practices Branch Forest Products Commission Regional Services Division.

8 The presence of Sirex in softwood plantations.

Annually Forest Products Commission

9 Time to regenerate Annually. Forest Management Branch.

10 Effectiveness of regeneration Annually. Forest Management Branch Forest Products Commission

13 Employment in timber industry Biennially. Forest Products Commission

14 Access for apiculture. Biennially Parks and Visitors Services Division

15 Wildflowers and seed picking. Annually Nature Conservation

16 The presence of Sirex in softwood plantations.

Annually Forest Products Commission

17 Weeds & pests severity by subjective survey

Five years. Nature Conservation Division

19 Annual flow-weighted Mean salinity Five years. Department of Water Water Corporation

KPI Title of KPI Reporting timeframe

Relevant agencies/data custodians with reporting responsibilities

20 Percentage of water bodies (e.g. stream kilometres, lake hectares) with significant variance of biodiversity from the historic range of variability.

Five years Science Division

21 The level of soil damage resulting from timber harvesting.

Annually Regional Services Division Forest Policy and Practices Branch Forest Products Commission

22 Water production (streamflow) Five years Department of Water Water Corporation Science Division

23 The identification and protection of cultural heritage.

Annually Information Management Branch Regional Services Division Forest Policy and Practices Branch Parks and Visitors Services Division

24 Consultation and involvement of Aboriginal people in forest management.

Annually Parks and Visitors Services Division

25 The protection of heritage places through representation in reserves.

Biennially Information Management Branch Parks and Visitors Services Division

26 Number, range and use of recreation/tourism activities available by proposed land category in the plan area.

Annually Parks and Visitors Services Division Regional Services Division

27 Basic raw material supply. Annually Regional Services Division Environmental Management Branch

28 Adaptive management. Five years Forest Policy and Practices Branch Forest Management Branch Science Division Forest Products Commission

29 Provide for public involvement activities and public education, awareness and extension programs and make available forest- related information.

Annually Regional Services Division Parks and Visitors Services Division Strategic Development and Corporate Affairs Division

30 Develop and maintain human resource skills across relevant disciplines.

Annually Corporate Services Forest Products Commission

31 Development of scientific understanding of ecosystem characteristics and functions.

Annually Sustainable Forest Management Division Science Division Nature Conservation Division Parks and Visitor Services

32 Environmental management system.

December 2005 Forest Policy and Practices Branch

33 Operational control. Annually Forest Policy and Practices Branch Forest Management Branch Fire Management Services Branch Nature Conservation Division Conservation Commission Forest Products Commission


1. KPI 1 - The representation of forest ecosystems in formal reserves

1.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to biological diversity is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the whole of forest scale for the purpose of seeking to conserve biodiversity and seeking to conserve self-sustaining populations of native species and communities, and at the landscape scale for the purpose of seeking to allow for the recovery of biodiversity between one timber rotation and the next. (Forest Management Plan p23) Forest Management Plan extract (page 30) Key performance indicator 1 The representation of forest ecosystems in formal reserves. Performance measure Area of each forest ecosystem by land category (existing and

proposed separately). Performance target(s) The Department and the Conservation Commission to

complete all actions for which they are responsible in order to formally change the land category of areas proposed for the reserve system within ten years after the commencement of the plan.

Reporting Biennially on progress. Response to progress shortfall The Department to investigate lack of progress and report to

the Conservation Commission and to the Minister for the Environment. The Department to address those impediments within its control and the Department and the Conservation Commission to advise the Minister for the Environment on measures to address other impediments.

The objective in relation to the establishment of formal reserves is: The plan proposes the following actions at the whole of forest scale for the purpose of seeking to conserve biodiversity and ecological integrity in all native forest ecosystems through the establishment and management of a system of reserves that is comprehensive, adequate and representative: (Forest Management Plan p24). Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 1.1 The Department will initiate the processes required for the land category changes proposed by the plan by:

1.1.1 undertaking fine scale reserve design for the parks proposed in the Protecting our old -growth forests policy so as to include within the parks old-growth forest adjacent to the nominal boundaries;

1.1.2 facilitating the Government’s community consultation process on fine-scale reserve design; and

1.1.3 consulting with the Conservation Commission and then advising the Minister for the Environment on final reserve boundaries. Consultation with the community and affected government and local government authorities as contemplated by Action 1.1.2 may result in minor amendments to the boundaries of reserves shown on Map 3 and Map 5.

1.2 The Department will manage the areas proposed by Appendix 2 for inclusion in a national

park, nature reserve or conservation park consistently with their proposed land category and purpose and relevant Departmental policies until such time as they are formally created. Timber production in these areas will not be permitted.


1.3 The Department will cooperate with the Departments of Environment and Planning and

Infrastructure and other agencies in relation to the establishment of a comprehensive, adequate and representative reserve system outside the RFA area, through Bush Forever or similar programs.

1.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 1 1.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 1 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets for representation of forest ecosystems in conservation reserves, through tracking the progress in the establishment of formal reserves. 1.2.2. Rationale Monitoring the status of implementation of reserve proposals is important to the successful establishment of the comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) reserve system. In the past, many proposals for conservation reserves have taken a long time before the process of establishing them is complete. Tracking the process of establishment and dealing with impediments to establishment will assist in the assessment of management activities so that appropriate actions to better achieve the objective can be identified. 1.2.3. Background and context The establishment of a CAR reserve system is fundamental to the conservation of biodiversity. The CAR reserve system is comprised of formal reserves, Forest Conservation Areas and some informal reserves. This KPI focuses on the formal reserve component of the CAR reserve system. The formal conservation reserve system proposed in the Forest Management Plan is based on the National Reserve System principles to select areas to meet CAR criteria and additional reserves as a result of Government policy decisions, most notably the Protecting our old-growth forests policy. The Guidelines for the National Reserve System Program aim for the CAR reserve system to contain samples of all ecosystems identified at an appropriate regional scale. In doing so, the aim is to also consider the ecological requirements of rare or threatened species and ecological communities and ecosystems, special groups of organisms such as those with specialized habitat requirements, wide ranging or migratory species or species vulnerable to threatening processes. 1.2.4. Issues Implementation of the proposed amendments to land category as detailed in the Forest Management Plan is a complex process that may be influenced by other agencies such as the Western Australian Land Information Authority, the Department of Water, the Department of Industry and Resources, and local government authorities. Additionally, the changes require Parliamentary approval. Each of these bodies may have concerns or objections that affect the capacity to achieve the proposed changes, including delays in the process while issues are addressed. Other causes of delays relate to consideration of the Commonwealth’s Native Title Act 1993 and the State Land Administration Act 1997 (principally concerning the closure of unwanted roads), and pastoral leases which extend beyond the time frame of the Forest Management Plan. Mapping of forest ecosystems is only available for land within the Regional Forest Agreement area and outside this area the Beard-Hopkins vegetation associations have been used as a guide to


representation of ecosystems in conservation reserves. Forest ecosystem mapping is subject to refinement that may lead to minor variations in the data. 1.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target The area of each land category in the plan area.

No target for plan period. Long-term target is the area of each land category when all proposed land category changes are completed.

The percentage of the total distribution of each forest ecosystems in the Regional Forest Agreement Region of the plan area that occurs in formal conservation reserves, being national parks, nature reserves, conservation parks and CALM Act section 5(1)(g) & (h) reserves.

No target for plan period. Long-term target is the percentage achieved when all proposed land category changes are completed.

The number of individual reserve proposals as set out in Appendix 2 of the Forest Management Plan (286 in total) that have been fully implemented.

Of the total number of proposed changes (286), the nominal target is 70 per cent (200) to be fully implemented by December 2013.

1.2.6. Required data

Required data Collection & storage method Data Custodians Current tenure base in the plan area

Obtain from Landgate via Information Management Branch and import to Forest Management Information System prior to the calculation for each reporting period.

Geographic Information Section of Information Management Branch and Forest Management Branch

Proposed tenure base in the plan area

Forest Management Branch

Regional Forest Agreement Region


Forest Management Information System attribute

Forest ecosystems distribution in the plan area


Completion status of proposed land category changes

Status of each proposal to be maintained in a database

Land and External Funding Unit, Parks and Visitor Services Division


1.2.7. Calculation method

Entity to be measured Calculation method Area of each land category in the plan area

Import updates of the Landgate land base from Information Management Branch to the Forest Management Information System (FMIS) and calculate the area of each land category. Include information on land categories used in the national State of the Forest report and IUCN categories to facilitate reporting for other processes. Aggregate categories into formal conservation reserves and other.

Representation of forest ecosystems in the formal reserve system within the Regional Forest Agreement Region of the plan area

Overlay FMIS attribute “Forest Ecosystem” with the current Landgate land base for the Regional Forest Agreement Region to obtain the area of each forest ecosystem by land category. Amalgamate the area of each ecosystem in categories in the formal reserve system and express as a percentage of the total representation in the region.

The status of each proposal by the stage of implementation

Maintain a register of the status of proposed land category changes (see Appendix 2 of the Forest Management Plan) and express the number completed as a percentage of the total of proposed land category changes (286).

1.2.8. Measurement, calculation and reporting frequency

Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Area (hectares) of each land category in the whole plan area.

Immediately following the close of each two-year reporting period. That is January 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014. The percentage

representation of each forest ecosystem in the formal conservation reserve system.

January 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014.

Recording of the implementation status of each proposed land category change as it occurs.

January 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014.

The implementation status of each land category change proposed in Appendix 2 of the Forest Management Plan.

1.2.9. Data presentation

Metric Presentation Area (hectares) of each land category applicable to formal conservation reserves in the whole plan area.

Amalgamate the area of all land categories that make up the formal conservation reserve system. Present the total area in the formal reserve system as a table (table 1) and a line graph (figure 1) showing the progression at each reporting period toward the total when all proposals are implemented.

The percentage representation of each forest ecosystem in the formal conservation reserve system.

Present as a table (table 2) showing the percentage representation of each forest ecosystem in the formal conservation reserve system at each reporting period and the percentage representation of each forest ecosystem that will occur when all proposed land category changes are fully implemented.

The number of individual land category changes proposed in Appendix 2.

Present the number of proposed changes in land category by implementation status graphically with the target for completion highlighted.


Table 1: Area (ha) by established land category for formal conservation reserves in the area of Forest Management Plan for each reporting period.

Land category Total area (ha) for each reporting period

Total area (ha) in existing formal conservation reserves and proposals in Forest Management Plan

2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Nature reserves

26,870 39,150

National parks

375,490 938,090

Conservation parks

21,350 108,360

CALM Act section 5(1)(g) & (h) reserves.

13,220 13,480

Total 436,930 1,099,080

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Time (years)

Are

a (

ha

)

Nature reserves

National parks

Conservation parks

CALM Act section 5 (1)(g)& (h) reserves

Total for FMP

* Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate progression for reporting intervals from 2006 to 2012

Figure 1: Area (ha) of established formal conservation reserves by land category in the area

of Forest Management Plan for each reporting period



Table 2: Representation of each forest ecosystem in formal conservation reserves for each

reporting period in relation to the percentage that will occur when all reserves are established.

Ecosystem type Ecosystem representation in formal reserves (percentage of pre 1750 extent)

Ecosystem representation in formal reserves (percentage

of pre 1750 extent) as proposed in the Forest

Management Plan (Sum of 8 numbers in appendix 8 for each

ecosystem, converted to %) 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 Jarrah dominant Jarrah Blackwood 2.4 23.5 (81,510 / 347,200) Jarrah Leeuwin 4.6 7.1 (7,910) Jarrah Mt Lindesay 1.2 14.5 (18,320) Jarrah North East 4.4 15.5 (111,150) Jarrah North West 7.7 13.6 (90,870) Jarrah Rates’s Tingle 66.0 77 (1,160) Jarrah Red Tingle 43.0 65.7 (230) Jarrah Sandy 8.0 22.4 (24,190) Jarrah South 9.4 40.2 (223,830) Jarrah Unicup 6.4 18.6 (15,050) Jarrah Woodland 11.0 25.8 (27,480) Jarrah Yellow Tingle 15.3 66.3 (7,690) Sub total 6.3 21.9 (609,400 / 2,783,950) Karri dominant Karri Main Belt 19.2 35.8 (69,150) Karri Rate’s Tingle 71.8 71.8 (790) Karri Red Tingle 68.3 72.6 (5,230) Karri West Coast 27.0 30.7 (4,450) Karri Yellow Tingle 15.3 70.6 (11,150) Sub total 21.2 39.2 (90,770) Wandoo dominant Western Wandoo forest

7.4 17.9 (64,950)

Western Wandoo woodland

8.4 20.5 (33,360)

Sub total 7.7 18.7 (98,310) Other Bullich and Yate 53.9 77.1 (2,160) Darling Scarp 4.7 7.93 (2,300) Peppermint and Coastal Heath

66.9 72.3 (57,880)

Rocky Outcrops 17.0 31.4 (8,300) Sand Dunes 97.8 99.7 (11,070) Shrub, Herb, and Sedgelands

21.9 49.5 (212,770)

Swamps 33.8 39.9 (6,100) Sub total Total

28.8 50.6 (300,600)

Total

10.6 26.6 (1,099,080/4136350)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Reporting period (2 year intervals)

Ind

ivid

ual

lan

d c

ate

go

ry c

ha

ng

es

(to

tal o

f 2

86)

Number of individual land category changes required to reach implementation of all proposed land category changes.

Commenced: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011

Number of individual land category changes completed * The nominal target (70% of total proposals) for completion is shown in 2014 as 200 individual land categories. * Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate progression for reporting intervals from 2006 to 2012 Figure 2: Number of proposed land category changes that have been fully implemented

by reporting period. 1.2.10. Responsibility Information Management Branch is responsible for collection of updated data from Landgate. Forest Management Branch is responsible for:

collection of data from Information Management Branch;

input of updated data into Forest Management Information System;

data collation and analysis for KPI; and

data presentation and interpretation. Parks and Visitor Services Division is responsible for maintaining a database of the completion status of proposed land category changes. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating information for this KPI together with other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and publication of its report.

Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division of 180

2. KPI 2 - The status of (critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, conservation dependent) forest-dwelling species and ecological communities as determined by listing

2.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to biological diversity is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the whole of forest scale for the purpose of seeking to conserve biodiversity and seeking to conserve self-sustaining populations of native species and communities, and at the landscape scale for the purpose of seeking to allow for the recovery of biodiversity between one timber rotation and the next. (Forest Management Plan p23) Forest Management Plan extract (page 30) Key performance indicator 2 The status of (critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable,

conservation dependent) forest-dwelling species and ecological communities as determined by listing.

Performance measure List of species and ecological communities and their status that tracks movements of species between protection categories.

Performance target(s) No species or ecological community will move to a higher category of threat as a result of management activities.

Reporting Annually with the review of the lists. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause of a change to a more

threatened category and report to the Conservation Commission and to the Minister for the Environment. The Conservation Commission to evaluate the need for revision of management practices, in the context of its assessment and auditing function, in consultation with the Department.

The objective in relation to threatened species of flora and fauna and ecological communities is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the landscape scale for the purpose of seeking to protect, and assist the recovery of, threatened and priority species of flora and fauna and ecological communities: (Forest Management Plan p28) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 8.1 The Department will maintain a list identifying threatened and priority species of flora and

fauna and threatened ecological communities. (Threatened species and communities are those under risk of extinction. Priority species and communities are those that may be threatened but for which there are insufficient survey data, and those that are rare but not endangered).

8.2 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will conduct their operations having

regard to the Department’s Conservation of Endangered and Specially Protected Fauna in the Wild policy and Conservation of Threatened Flora in the Wild policy.

8.3 The Department and Forest Products Commission will revise planning checklists to identify

actions to be taken in specified circumstances in which declared rare flora species, threatened ecological communities, and other significant flora identified in Appendix 13 may be disturbed by their operations.

8.4 The Forest Products Commission and the Department will undertake operations in

accordance with guidelines for operations in the presence of fauna, to be developed as part Commenced: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011 Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division of 180

of the Fauna Distribution Information System, which is to be completed by the Forest Products Commission: 8.4.1 to the satisfaction of the Department; and 8.4.2 in consultation with the Conservation Commission.

8.5 (Plantations): The Forest Products Commission will advise the Department of its

harvesting and management activities within plantations: 8.5.1 where those activities may impact on threatened species and threatened ecological

communities, agreed protection measures is implemented. 8.6 The Department will develop and implement recovery plans for selected threatened species

and ecological communities, including: 8.6.1 the Western Shield fox baiting program (which seeks to reduce predation pressure

on threatened and priority species of fauna). 2.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 2 2.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 2 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets through monitoring the status (protection category) of threatened flora, fauna and ecological communities, so that ecosystem management activities can be assessed and appropriate actions to better achieve the objective can be identified. 2.2.2. Rationale Monitoring the status of threatened flora, fauna and ecological communities is essential to identify those taxa and communities at most risk of extinction so that recovery actions can seek to prevent any further loss in biodiversity through an increased level of threat or extinction. 2.2.3. Background and context The Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 provides for taxa of native plants (flora) and native animals (fauna) to be specially protected if they are under identifiable threat of extinction. Such specially protected fauna and flora are considered to be "threatened" and are officially listed through a Wildlife Conservation (Specially Protected Fauna) Notice or a Wildlife Conservation (Rare Flora) Notice in the Government Gazette. The Threatened Species Scientific Committee meets at least once a year to consider any nominations received since the previous meeting and the public is invited to submit nominations to add taxa to, or delete taxa from, the current Declared Rare Flora and Specially Protected Fauna lists. The Threatened Species Scientific Committee also make recommendations for change to the World Conservation Union (IUCN) ranking for listed taxa. The Threatened Species Scientific Committee reports to the Director General of the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Minister for the Environment. Ministerial approval is necessary before changes to the lists are given legal status with the amended rankings accepted and published in a notice in the Government Gazette. The Conservation Commission, established under the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984, also considers the advice of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee and, make recommendations to the Minister on wildlife conservation policies. Threatened ecological communities are recognised under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 but not the State Wildlife Conservation Act 1950. The proposed Biodiversity Conservation Act is expected to provide this recognition. However, while there is not currently State legislative protection for threatened ecological communities, the Environmental Protection Act 1986 recognises them and provides a mechanism for protecting them from clearing. The land clearing regulations and the “Bush Forever” program aim to retain all significant remnant vegetation including threatened ecological communities. Commenced: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011 Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division of 180

The Declared Rare Flora and Specially Protected Fauna lists and the lists of Threatened Ecological Communities endorsed by the Minister is the basis for measurement of the KPI. 2.2.4. Issues Changes in designated conservation status (critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, conservation dependent) can be used as a crude indicator of the status of biodiversity. Some threats to species may be beyond the control of forest managers. The following issues should be considered in interpreting changes in conservation status:

whether the change in status is the result of human intervention and management;

whether the change in status is the result of human activity largely unmanageable by forest managers;

whether the change in status is the result of natural variations;

whether the change in status is the result of threats outside of the forest or inside the forest;

the effectiveness of the nomination and/or assessment of change process in reviewing the threatened species and community lists;

implementation of agreed actions to manage threats and improve the status of the threatened species; and

a determination will need to be made as to whether the taxa is forest dwelling. That judgment is made if any part of the life cycle is dependent on forest habitat.

2.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Threatened forest-dwelling flora Threatened forest-dwelling fauna

No species will move to a higher category of threat as a result of management activities or lack of appropriate management activities.

Threatened forest-dwelling ecological communities

No ecological community will move to a higher category of threat as a result of management activities.


Required data Collection & storage method Custodians A list showing categories of threatened taxa of forest-dwelling flora, fauna and ecological communities for the area covered by the Forest Management Plan.

Nature Conservation Division to store state lists and to intersect with area of Forest Management Plan.

Threatened flora – Senior Botanist, Species and Communities Branch. Threatened Fauna- Senior Zoologist, Species and Communities Branch. Threatened ecological communities- Species and Communities Branch.




Parameter of measurement

Calculation method

Change in conservation status for threatened taxa and ecological communities.

State-wide lists of threatened taxa and ecological communities to be refined to those taxa and communities that occur in the area of the management plan and for those that are forest-dwelling. Updated lists to be compared on an annual basis by data custodians to identify threatened taxa and ecological communities that have changed conservation status.


Required measurement Measurement frequency

Calculation frequency

Number of threatened taxa and ecological communities that have changed protection category including current and previous status.

Annual at the end of December.

Calculations to follow endorsement of amended lists by the Minister from the recommendations made by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee.


Metric Presentation Number of taxa and ecological communities classified in each conservation status for each year of the life of the management plan. The data for flora and fauna is presented in major groups (Fungi, vascular plants etc). The data for ecological communities is presented by community name.

Table showing number in each category as per Table 1 below. Text describing overall patterns of change in number of threatened taxa and communities.

Number of forest-dwelling taxa and ecological communities classified in each conservation status (presumed extinct, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, conservation dependent) at the start of the management plan and at the last update of the lists of conservation status within each reporting period.

Table showing number in each category as per Table 2 and 3 below. Text identifying any taxa or community elevated into a greater threat category, as determined by conservation status, and the reasons for this change. Text identifying any taxa or community reclassified to a lower threat category, as determined by conservation status, and the reasons for this change. Text describing any changes as a result of management practices or other causes of elevated or lowered threat.

The information is presented in the following format.


Table 1: Total number of forest-dwelling taxa and ecological communities in the area covered by the Forest Management Plan by conservation status for flora and fauna (presumed extinct, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, conservation dependent) and by conservation status for ecological communities (totally destroyed, endangered, vulnerable, critically endangered) for each reporting period.

Taxon Presumed

extinct Critically

endangered Endangered Vulnerable Conservation

dependent Year Year Year Year Year Flora Vascular Non-vascular Fungi Sub-total Fauna Mammals Birds Reptiles Amphibians Invertebrates Sub-total

Totally destroyed Critically Endangered

Endangered Vulnerable

Year Year Year Year Ecological communities

Total

An asterisk (*) indicates new additions to the lists that may not relate to management activities. Table 2: Change in conservation status (presumed extinct, critically endangered,

endangered, vulnerable, conservation dependent) of forest-dwelling taxa in the area covered by the Forest Management Plan between the current and the previous reporting period.

Conservation status at Dec 2005

Presumed extinct

Critically Endangered

Endangered Vulnerable Conservation dependent

Not listed

Presumed extinct

Critically endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Conservation dependent


Not listed

Table 3: Change in conservation status (totally destroyed, endangered, vulnerable, critically endangered) of forest-dwelling ecological communities in the area covered by the Forest Management Plan between the current and the previous reporting period.


Totally destroyed

Endangered Vulnerable Critically endangered

Not listed

Totally destroyed

Endangered

Vulnerable

Critically endangered


Not listed

2.2.10. Responsibilities Nature Conservation Division is responsible for:

data collection and management;

data collation and analysis;

data presentation and interpretation; and

preparing lists to describe the results of this KPI.

Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating information for this KPI together with other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for the performance assessment, reviewing and publication of its report. 2.2.11. Work Instructions

1. Geographic Information Services to intercept map of the distribution of threatened taxa and ecological communities in Western Australian with the area of the Forest Management Plan. This is to identify all taxa and ecological communities on the threatened list within the area of the plan.

2. Geographic Information Services to provide lower level intercept to identify all potential forest dwelling taxa and ecological communities within Forest Management Plan area.

3. Custodians of the data, Species and Communities Branch to agree on methodology for identifying forest dwelling taxa and ecological communities and to develop those lists.

4. Species and Communities Branch to provide updated lists of taxa and ecological communities and to cross match data to identify changes in category or any new additions to the lists. Species and Communities Branch to provide reasons for change in category and provide data to Forest Policy and Practices Branch.

5. Forest Policy and Practices Branch to collate information in report to Conservation Commission.

6. The Conservation Commission to audit and review the report. The Conservation Commission will provide its response to the Minister and publish its report.


3. KPI 3 - The status of selected threatened or conservation dependent species that are the subject of management actions to protect them

3.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to biological diversity is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the whole of forest scale for the purpose of seeking to conserve biodiversity and seeking to conserve self-sustaining populations of native species and communities, and at the landscape scale for the purpose of seeking to allow for the recovery of biodiversity between one timber rotation and the next. (Forest Management Plan p23) Forest Management Plan extract (page 31) Key performance indicator 3 The status of selected threatened or conservation dependent

species that are the subject of management actions to protect them.

Performance measure The trap success for animals at selected monitoring sites. Performance target(s) As per recovery plans. Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to the

Conservation Commission and to the Minister for the Environment. The Conservation Commission to evaluate the need for revision of management practices in the context of its assessment and auditing function, in consultation with the Department.

The objectives in relation to retention of habitat elements in harvesting operations and threatened and priority species and ecological communities is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the landscape scale for the purpose of seeking to prevent any species moving to a higher category of threat or, in particular, declining to irretrievably low levels as a result of management actions. The plan proposes the following Actions at the landscape scale for the purpose of seeking to protect, and assist the recovery of, threatened and priority species of flora and fauna and ecological communities. (Forest Management Plan p28) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 7.1 The Department will publish a map by 1 January 2004 showing locations of indicative fauna

habitat zones. 7.2 The Department may change the locations and areas of indicative fauna habitat zones in a

manner that: 7.2.1 has regard to the criteria specified in Appendix 4, where the change occurs prior to

the approval of the Guidelines referred to in the following paragraph; and 7.2.2 is in accordance with Guidelines for the Selection and Management of Fauna

Habitat Zones, which are to be: prepared by the Department with public consultation; and submitted to the Conservation Commission for advice and approved by the

Minister for the Environment by 31 December 2004, when they will take effect and supersede Appendix 4.


7.3 By 30 June 2004 the Department, in consultation with the Conservation Commission, will complete a review of the location of indicative fauna habitat zones having regard to the criteria specified in Appendix 4, with a view to making appropriate changes to those locations under Action 7.2.1.

7.4 The Department and Forest Products Commission will conduct their operations in indicative

fauna habitat zones, and in fauna habitat zones established under Appendix 4 and the Guidelines for the Selection and Management of Fauna Habitat Zones: 7.4.1 in a manner that has regard to the requirements set out in Appendix 4, where the

operation occurs prior to the approval of the Guidelines; and 7.4.2 in accordance with the Guidelines after they are approved and supersede Appendix

4. 8.1 The Department will maintain a list identifying threatened and priority species of flora and

fauna and threatened ecological communities. (Threatened species and communities are those under risk of extinction. Priority species and communities are those that may be threatened but for which there are insufficient survey data, and those that are rare but not endangered).

8.2 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will conduct their operations having

regard to the Department’s Conservation of Endangered and Specially Protected Fauna in the Wild policy and Conservation of Threatened Flora in the Wild policy.

8.3 The Department and Forest Products Commission will revise planning checklists to identify

actions to be taken in specified circumstances in which declared rare flora species, threatened ecological communities, and other significant flora identified in Appendix 13 may be disturbed by their operations.

8.4 The Forest Products Commission and the Department will undertake operations in

accordance with guidelines for operations in the presence of fauna, to be developed as part of the Fauna Distribution Information System, which is to be completed by the Forest Products Commission: 8.4.1 to the satisfaction of the Department; and 8.4.2 in consultation with the Conservation Commission.

8.5 (Plantations): The Forest Products Commission will advise the Department of its

harvesting and management activities within plantations: 8.5.1 where those activities may impact on threatened species and threatened ecological

communities, agreed protection measures will be implemented. 8.6 The Department will develop and implement recovery plans for selected threatened species

and ecological communities, including: 8.6.1 the Western Shield fox baiting program (which seeks to reduce predation pressure

on threatened and priority species of fauna).


3.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 3 3.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 3 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets for conservation of biodiversity through protecting and assisting the recovery of threatened and conservation dependant species of fauna. 3.2.2. Rationale Monitoring the status of threatened and conservation dependant species of fauna is essential to providing information on the success of measures such as Western Shield and fauna habitat zones designed to mitigate the impact of disturbances such as timber harvesting and fire, in protecting and assisting the recovery of threatened and conservation dependant species of fauna. 3.2.3. Background and context Over the past 100 years there has been a decline in the population of many Western Australian mammals. The decline has been attributed to a number of major factors: land clearing and the redirection of environmental resources to human populations; reduction in environmental productivity due to the alteration of habitats by introduced grazing animals; altered fire regimes; and direct reduction in populations due to introduced predators and competitors. Research indicates that native mammals most at risk of being driven to extinction are easy prey—medium-sized animals weighing between 35 grams and 4200 grams. These mammal species have been termed critical weight range (CWR). A number of actions to control predation by foxes and feral cats have been introduced by the Department as part of the Western Shield program to reverse the declining trend. This includes aerial fox baiting using 1080 poison, captive breeding programs and reintroduction programs for threatened taxa. Fauna habitat zones are also used as a strategy to meet the Forest Management Plan’s objective of ensuring that biodiversity recovers between timber harvest rotations. Fauna habitat zones provide an extensive network of areas within State forest and timber reserves that are excluded from timber harvesting in the mid-term. The aim is to maintain fauna populations within themselves, and to provide a source for the re-colonisation of nearby areas after timber harvesting. 3.2.4. Issues The following issues should be considered in interpreting changes in populations of selected fauna subject to monitoring:

whether the change in capture rate is the result of human intervention and management;

whether the change in capture rate is the result of human activity largely unmanageable by forest managers;

whether the change in capture rate is the result of natural variations; or

whether the change in capture rate is the result of threats outside of the forest or inside the forest.

Whilst it is desirable for reporting under this KPI to be based on the same taxa and location over the timeframe of the Forest Management Plan, it may not be possible to achieve this due to factors such as operational limitations resulting in other than annual monitoring and natural events such as wildfire that are beyond the control of the Department. Commenced: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011 Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division of 180


Entity Target Trap success Increase in, or maintenance of, capture rate (in relation to success

criteria as per recovery plans where recovery plans exist) 3.2.6. Required data

Required data Collection & storage method Custodians Trap success for selected threatened and conservation dependent species at selected monitoring sites for annual reporting periods.

Species and Communities Branch to arrange, through Regional Services, trapping at selected sites and record capture rate.

Regional fauna conservation officers, Regional Services (initial data collection), and Species and Communities Branch, Nature Conservation Division (data collation and reporting).


Entity to be measured Calculation method Trap success for selected fauna.

Capture rate (number of animals captured expressed as a percentage of traps) for selected threatened and conservation dependent fauna species at monitoring sites across the Forest Management Plan area. The indicative list of selected fauna will include:

Woylie Brushtail possum Quenda Chuditch


Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Capture rate (expressed as a percentage of traps)

Annually subject to availability of data.

Annually


Metric Presentation Capture rate (expressed as a percentage of traps)

Data is presented as a column graph (Figure 1) showing capture rate for each trapping period for the life of the plan for selected fauna species at selected sites. Text to describe trends and interpret the success of management actions.


Figure 1. Capture rates for medium sized mammals at a selected monitoring site within the

area of the Forest Management Plan. (Note: data in the graph is taken from 2003-2004 CALM Annual Report for the purpose of demonstrating data presentation)

3.2.10. Responsibility Regional Services (respective Regional offices) is responsible for data collection and management of primary data. Nature Conservation Division (Species and Communities Branch) is responsible for:




text to describe data trends. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating information for this KPI together with other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and publication of its report. 3.2.11. Further reading Burbidge, A.A., and N.L. McKenzie (1989). Patterns in the modern decline of Western Australia’s vertebrate fauna: causes and conservation implications. Biological Conservation 50: 143-198.


4. KPI 4 - The area of native forest and plantations 4.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to productive capacity is: The overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and, where applicable, enhance the productive capacity of the forest. (Forest Management Plan p32) Forest Management Plan extract (page 38) Key performance indicator 4 The area of native forest and plantations. Performance measure Change in:

the area of native forest and plantations; area of forest by land category; area of forest cleared; and area of forest rehabilitated.

Performance target(s) No permanent loss of net area of forested land. Reporting After each five years. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to the

Conservation Commission and to the Minister for the Environment.

The objective in relation to maintaining the area of native forest and plantations is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to maintain the net area of forested land: (Forest Management Plan p32) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 10.1 The Conservation Commission and the Department will make submissions in relation to

development proposals forwarded to them for comment or advice, with a view to: 10.1.1 seeking to reduce the permanent loss of forested areas as a result of development; 10.1.2 seeking the replacement of forested areas permanently lost to development; 10.1.3 promoting the construction of infrastructure such as roads, pipelines and other

utilities at common locations, such as infrastructure corridors; and 10.1.4 reducing the impact of mining and petroleum operations on forested areas with a

high productive capacity for timber production. 10.2 The Department will, where reasonable and practicable, construct roads in a manner and at

a location that will service multiple needs. 10.3 The Department will seek to progressively rehabilitate redundant roads. 10.4 (Plantations): The Forest Products Commission will maintain the minimum area of

plantation estate required to meet State Agreement Act supply requirements by: 10.4.1 replanting pines in all suitable areas of State forest and freehold (fee simple) land

held in the name of the Executive Director that have previously been planted with pines and have been clear felled, except at Gnangara, Peel, Hamel and other areas determined consistently with the agreement ratified under the Wood Processing (Wesfi) Agreement Act 2000; and

10.4.2 establishing new plantations on appropriate cleared land to replace any plantation areas that are clear felled but not replanted with plantation species.



4.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 4 4.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 4 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets through tracking any change in the area of native forest and plantations. 4.2.2. Rationale This indicator is helpful as it measures the amount of existing forest area and reveals if that area is increasing or decreasing as a result of management practices. Maintaining the net area of forested land after harvesting, mining and infrastructure is essential for maintaining the productive capacity, and other forest values, and the sustainable flow of benefits from the forests to society. A continual decline in the area of forest is likely to lead to a decline in sustainable yield of timber and impacts on biodiversity and other forest values. 4.2.3. Background and context The loss of forest area is a major factor in diminishing the productive capacity of the forest. Productive capacity may be diminished as a result of Government decisions that address a broader social need, such as clearing forest for essential infrastructure like major power lines. Performance measurements from KPI 4 will reveal any change in forest areas and facilitate examination of the reasons for these changes. The Forest Management Plan defines forest as ‘An area, incorporating all living and non-living components, that is dominated by trees having usually a single stem and a mature or potentially mature stand height exceeding two metres and with existing or potential crown cover of overstorey strata about equal to or greater than 20 per cent’. The Forest Management Plan defines plantation as ‘State forest and timber reserve planted with exotic species’. 4.2.4. Issues Changes in proposed land category over the period of implementation of the plan may confound measurement of the area of native forest and plantation by land category, so the proposed land category as mapped at January 2004 is used throughout. The ability to accurately measure the area of forest cleared and rehabilitated is limited by data quality provided by proponents to clear forest. Whilst some proponents such as Alcoa Australia provide high quality data at regular intervals, other proponents do not provide any information on cleared areas to the Department. 4.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target

The area of native forest and plantations The area of forest by proposed land category The area of forest cleared

The area of forest rehabilitated

No permanent loss of net area of forested land.



Required data Collection & storage method

Custodians

Area of native forest as at December 2003, December 2008 and December 2013

FMIS Forest Management Branch

Area of plantations as at December 2003, December 2008 and December 2013

FMIS Forest Products Commission

Land category as at December 2003 as proposed in the Forest Management Plan.


Area of native forest cleared and rehabilitated


Area of plantation cleared and rehabilitated

Forest Products Commission


Parameter to be measured Calculation method Area of native forest by proposed land category

Intersect native forest data layer with land category data layer in FMIS and have results presented as a two-way table for each date (Dec 2003, Dec 2008, Dec 2013).

Area of plantations by proposed land category

Intersect plantations data layer with land category data layer in FMIS and have results presented as a two-way table for each date (Dec 2003, Dec 2008, Dec 2013).

Change in area of native forest The change in area of native forest is calculated by subtracting the area of native forest at a particular date from the area of native forest at the preceding date.

Change in area of plantations The change in area of plantations is calculated by subtracting the area of plantations at a particular date from the area of plantations at the preceding date

Area of native forest cleared Interrogate the native forest cleared data layer. Area of plantations cleared Interrogate the plantations cleared data layer. Area of native forest rehabilitated

Interrogate the native forest rehabilitated data layer.

Area of plantations rehabilitated

Interrogate the plantations rehabilitated data layer.


Required measurement Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Area of native forest by proposed land category

Yearly Five yearly

Area of plantations by proposed land category

Yearly Five yearly

Change of area in native forest Yearly Five yearly Change of area in plantations Yearly Five yearly Area of native forest cleared Yearly Five yearly Area of plantations cleared Yearly Five yearly Area of native forest rehabilitated Yearly Five yearly Area of plantations rehabilitated Yearly Five yearly

4.2.9. Data presentation Table 1: Area (ha) of native forest and plantation by land category at December 2003 and

December 2008 and the change in area between these dates. December 2003 Land Category (including proposals)

Native forest Plantation Total forest Other Total

State forest, timber reserve or ED land

National park Nature reserve

Conservation park

5(1)(g) and (h)

Total December 2008 Land Category (including proposals)




Conservation park

5(1)(g) and (h)

Total December 2003 – December 2008 Land Category (including proposals)




Conservation park

5(1)(g) and (h)

Total



Table 2: Area (ha) of forest cleared and rehabilitated over the period December 2003 to

December 2008. Native forest Plantation Total forest Other Total Cleared Rehabilitated

4.2.10. Responsibility Senior Forester, Forest Management Branch is responsible for:

archiving the Forest Management Plan proposed land category data layer;

maintaining the native forest data layer;

intersecting the native forest and plantations data layers with the land category data layer;

maintaining the native forest cleared and rehabilitated data layers;

data analysis and preparation of draft tabular information as shown in section 9 above;

draft text describing and interpreting changes in the area of native forest and plantations. Forests Products Commission is responsible for:

maintaining the plantations data layer; and

providing a copy of the plantations, plantations cleared and plantations rehabilitated data layers at the end of each calendar year to the Senior Forester, Forest Management Branch.

Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating this information together with information from other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report.


5. KPI 5 - Annual removal of wood products compared to sustainable yield determined by the plan.

5.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to productive capacity is: The overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and, where applicable, enhance the productive capacity of the forest. (Forest Management Plan p32) Forest Management Plan extract (page 39) Key performance indicator 5 Annual removal of wood products compared to the sustained

yield determined by the plan. Performance measure Cumulative removals for jarrah and karri first and second grade

sawlogs compared to the average annual sustainable yield. Annual removal of jarrah and karri sawlogs below first and second grade. Annual removal of all logs.

Performance target(s) No more than 10 per cent more than the average annual yield of first and second grade sawlogs of each species to be removed in any one year. No more than 412,650 cubic metres of first and second grade jarrah sawlogs and 170,100 cubic metres of first and second grade karri sawlogs to be removed in any three consecutive years. No more than 1,310,000 cubic metres of first and second grade jarrah sawlogs and 540,000 cubic metres of first and second grade karri sawlogs to be removed over the 10 year life of the plan. Annual volume of jarrah and karri sawlogs other than first and second grade sold for value added products to show a positive trend. No more than 13,000 cubic metres of wandoo, 16,000 cubic metres of blackbutt and 19,000 cubic metres of sheoak sawlogs to be removed over the 10 year life of the plan.

Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Forest Products Commission to advise the Conservation

Commission how it will manage removals to be under the end of plan target. The Conservation Commission to evaluate the need for a revision of harvesting levels in the context of its assessment and auditing functions, in consultation with the Department.

The objective in relation to sustained yield is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to provide for timber production of jarrah and karri sawlogs on a sustained yield basis and to maintain the quality of the sustained yield calculations for the next plan period (Forest Management Plan p34) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 11.1 The average annual yield of logs, calculated over the 10 year life of the plan, shall not

exceed the maximum volumes stipulated in Tables 3 and 4, and given above for wandoo, blackbutt and sheoak.

11.2 In addition to the yield referred to in 11.1, the Forest Products Commission may contract for

the removal and sale of forest products of species other than jarrah, karri, marri, blackbutt, wandoo and sheoak that become available in small quantities from operations designed to produce the yield referred to in 11.1 or as a result of other operations such as mining.

11.4 The Forest Products Commission and the Department will:

11.4.1 monitor the volume of all timber log categories removed from native forest in each year, separately recording for each of the commercial species the equivalent volume of: first and second grade sawlogs; lower grades of sawlogs; and residue logs; and

11.4.2 periodically audit the grading and removal of sawlogs. 11.9 The Forest Products Commission will, where practicable and economically feasible, enter

into contracts that are not confined to the supply of first and second grade sawlogs. For example, the Forest Products Commission may enter into contracts for the sale of bole sawlogs. When the Forest Products Commission enters into such a contract, the Forest Products Commission and the Department will calculate the equivalent volume of first and second grade sawlogs which would be derived from the volume of timber taken under the contract.

5.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 5 5.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 5 is to report on the level of production of jarrah and karri sawlogs relative to the sustained yield determined for the period of the Forest Management Plan. 5.2.2. Rationale The Forest Management Plan provides for an average annual sustained yield of sawlogs to be harvested from native forests over the ten year period. Monitoring of the annual quantity removed and periodic reconciliation with the sustained yield is an important measure of sustainability and the maintenance of productive capacity. In accordance with the Ministerial directive for approval of the plan, the performance targets set for this KPI were structured to address concerns from some stakeholders about the potential for consistent overcutting in the first five years of the Forest Management Plan (that might then need to be balanced by an under cut at the end of the ten years).


5.2.3. Background and context

Under the Forest Management Plan a sustained yield of jarrah and karri sawlogs was determined, and contracts of sale were subsequently negotiated by the Forest Products Commission with customers for these quantities (Forest Management Plan Table 3):

Table 3. Sustained yield (cubic metres) of first and second grade jarrah and karri sawlogs under the Forest Management Plan.

Approximate level of average annual oodflow by DEC forest region (mw 3)

Species Log grade Average annual yield for 10 years (m3)

Swan South West Warren

Jarrah First and second 131,000 39,000 73,000 19,000

Karri First and second 54,000 2,000 52,000 The quantity of non-sawlog and marri bole volume that was projected to be made available as a consequence of the removal of jarrah and karri sawlogs and the follow-up silvicultural treatments to achieve silvicultural objectives was estimated on Table 4 of the Forest Management Plan: Table 4. Availability of non-sawlog volume (cubic metres) under the Forest Management Plan.

Species Log grade Average annual availability for 10 years (m3)

Jarrah Bole logs other than first and second grade sawlog

534,000

Karri Bole logs other than first and second grade sawlog

117,000

Marri All bole logs 196,000 The yield from the jarrah and karri forests is regulated on the basis of sawlogs, so this KPI focuses on sawlog removals over annual and three-year rolling periods to monitor fluctuations, recognising that relatively small annual variations may be necessary in response to market and operational factors. Annual harvest plans are prepared that make available a sufficient mix of forest areas to meet the sustained yield targets. Each area cutover, or coupe, is separately identified and all log products removed by the Forest Products Commission contractors are tracked for accounting purposes in a computer system known as the Logging Operations Information System (LOIS). This system is regularly audited and has been used to report and monitor log removal and product sales over several successive Forest Management Plans. Each truckload of logs is issued with a Delivery Note that records the origin and product details of the load, and the net weight of the logs and customer information is subsequently obtained and uploaded into LOIS. All logs recovered and sold from State forest and timber reserves are tracked through LOIS (including logs arising from mining, road and infrastructure clearing). Because the sustained yield is determined in units of volume, and log deliveries are recorded in tonnes, appropriate weight: volume conversion factors have been determined and are applied to the various products. The reconciliation of sustained yield and removals is therefore undertaken on a volumetric basis.


5.2.4. Issues LOIS provides an efficient and accurate basis for monitoring sawlog removals for this KPI, but generally provides an under-estimate of the total volume of non-sawlog products made available during harvesting if there are insufficient markets for all the material produced. The high demand and ready market for sawlogs maximises the recovery and removal of sawlogs from coupe operations, while a proportion of the other products may be sold, stockpiled for later sale, or retained on site (felled or standing) in the forest. The utilization monitoring plots that provide the basis for reporting on KPI 11 can be used to provide a separate sample estimate of that portion of the non-sawlog resource made available but not removed. There is a range of log products delivered to FPC customers that are equivalent to the first and second grade sawlog specifications. These include, for example, veneer logs, electricity poles and bridge piles. Consequently, for consistent reporting against the KPI and the Forest Management Plan over a series of years, a set of product groups have been defined and an appropriate weight: volume conversion factor allocated to each product. The annual volume figures reported in this KPI will differ from those published in Annual Reports and documents such as the State of the Environment (2007) Report. This is largely because the figures for this KPI are collated and reported by calendar years for direct comparison with the basis of the Forest Management Plan sustained yield calculations and planning period (2004 to 2013). In contrast, the Forest Products Commission is required to publish annual log production figures on a financial year basis. 5.2.5. . The entities to be measured for the KPI are:

Entity Annual target First and second grade jarrah sawlogs 131,000 cubic metres First and second grade karri sawlogs 54,000 cubic metres Jarrah sawlogs other than first and second grade Karri sawlogs other than first and second grade Wandoo sawlogs Blackbutt sawlogs Sheoak sawlogs Jarrah other logs Karri other logs Marri other logs 196,000 cubic metres


Required data Collection and storage method Custodians Annual LOIS summaries recording log removals by product.

LOIS records all product removals from State forest, timber reserves and land held under title by the Director General.


Weight to volume scaling factors.

Default and allocated factors. Forest Products Commission / Forest Management Branch



Entity to be measured Calculation method Volume in cubic metres of nominated products for each species.

1 Allocate all products to a product group. 2 Apply appropriate weight-volume scaling factors to convert

tonnes to cubic metres. 3 Apply whole - bole log conversion factors if relevant. 4 Aggregate removals by product groups.


Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Volumes Daily via Delivery Note input Annually on a calendar year

basis 5.2.9. Data presentation

Metric Presentation First and second grade jarrah sawlogs First and second grade karri sawlogs Wandoo

Blackbutt Sheoak sawlogs

Tabular report depicting volumes by year relative to the performance targets

The following tables (Table A4 - Table A11) from the Mid-term Audit of the Forest Management Plan show the required presentation format for this data.

Table A4. Jarrah first and second grade sawlog removals during 2004 to 2007 relative to the 131,000 m3 annual sustained yield.

Jarrah first and second grade sawlog volume (cubic metres) Annual volumes Cumulative volumes

Year KPI upper limit

Annual removals

Variation Period KPI upper limit

Periodic removals

Variation

2004 144,100 120,251 - 23,849 2005 144,100 135,677 - 8,423 2006 144,100 120,507 - 23,593 2007 144,100 122,598 - 21,502 2004 to

2006 412,650 376,435 - 36,215

2005 to 2007

412,650 378,782 - 33,868


Table A5. Karri first and second grade sawlog removals during 2004 to 2007 relative to the 54,000 m3 annual sustained yield.

Karri first and second grade sawlog volume (cubic metres) Annual volumes Cumulative volumes

Year KPI upper limit

Annual removals

Variation Period KPI upper limit

Periodic removals

Variation

2004 59,400 51,986 - 7,414 2005 59,400 53,691 - 5,709 2006 59,400 60,325 + 925 2007 59,400 55,151* - 4,249 2004 to

2006 170,100 166,002 - 4,098

2005 to 2007

170,100 169,167 - 933

* Figure incorporates an adjustment to the raw delivery data to reflect a change in the minimum sawlog size that was accepted by customers in 2007.

Table A6. Wandoo sawlog volume (cubic metres)

Year Annual removals Cumulative total removals

KPI cumulative limit

2004 308 308 2005 13 321 2006 637 958 2007 214 1,172 2004 -2013 13,000

Table A7. Blackbutt sawlog volume (cubic metres)



2004 170 170 2005 478 648 2006 668 1,316 2007 766 2,082 2004 -2013 16,000

Table A8. Sheoak sawlog volume (cubic metres)



2004 404 404 2005 355 759 2006 310 1,069 2007 98 1,167 2004 -2013 19,000


Table A9. Jarrah other volume (cubic metres)

Year

Annual removals

FMP upper limit

Cumulative total

removals

FMP cumulative

limit

Cumulative variation (Actual –

FMP) 2004 132,432 534,000 132,432 534,000 - 401,568 2005 201,804 534,000 334,236 1,068,000 - 733,764 2006 150,349 534,000 484,585 1,602,000 - 1,117,415 2007 160,996 534,000 645,581 2,136,000 - 1,490,419

Table A10. Karri other volume (cubic metres)

Annual removals

FMP Upper limit

Cumulative total

removals

FMP cumulative

limit


FMP)

Year

2004 143,504 117,000 143,504 117,000 + 26,504 2005 147,252 117,000 290,756 234,000 + 56,756 2006 170,249 117,000 461,005 351,000 + 110,005 2007 148,727* 117,000 609,732 468,000 + 141,732

* Figure incorporates an adjustment to the raw delivery data to reflect a change in the minimum sawlog size (and hence proportion sold as other bole volume) that was accepted by customers in 2007.

Table A11. Marri all logs volume (cubic metres)

Annual removals

FMP upper limit

Cumulative total

removals

FMP cumulative

limit


FMP)

Year

2004 8,889 196,000 8,889 196,000 - 187,111 2005 7,326 196,000 16,215 392,000 - 375,785 2006 18,212 196,000 34,427 588,000 - 553,573 2007 25,989 196,000 60,416 784,000 - 723,584

5.2.10. . Responsibility Forest Products Commission will be responsible for:

maintaining the LOIS database and including data recording and input standards; and extraction of relevant operation and delivery summaries in consultation with Forest

Management Branch. Forest Management Branch will be responsible for:

product aggregation and weight: volume conversion in consultation with the Forest Products Commission;

data collation and analysis for the KPI; and data presentation and interpretation.

Forest Policy and Practices Branch will be responsible for collating information for this KPI for inclusion in a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for auditing, reviewing and the publication of its report.


6. KPI 6 - Area of forest cut over annually 6.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to productive capacity is: The overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and, where applicable, enhance the productive capacity of the forest. (FMP p32) FMP extract (page 39) Key performance indicator 06 Area of forest cut over annually. Performance measure Annual area of each forest type harvested according to each

silvicultural objective. Performance target(s) Not possible to set a realistic target for area cut over. Reporting Annual publication of areas cut over. Response to reporting The Conservation Commission to evaluate the need for revision

of management practices in the context of its assessment and auditing function, in consultation with the Forest Products Commission and the Department.

The objective in relation to sustained yield is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to provide for timber production of jarrah and karri sawlogs on a sustained yield basis and to maintain the quality of the sustained yield calculations for the next plan period (FMP p34) Most relevant FMP actions: 11.3 The Forest Products Commission will prepare annual timber harvesting plans that are to

be: 11.3.1 developed in consultation with, and to the requirements of, the Department; 11.3.2 consistent with the allowable timber yields referred to in Action 11.1; and 11.3.3 made publicly available.

11.5 The Department will prepare rolling three-year indicative timber harvesting plans that are to

be: 11.5.1 developed in consultation with the Forest Products Commission; 11.5.2 consistent with the allowable timber yields referred to in Action 11.1; and 11.5.3 made publicly available.

11.6 The Forest Products Commission will conduct its silvicultural operations:

11.6.1 in accordance with the Department’s Silviculture Guidelines; and 11.6.2 prior to the formal incorporation of the amendments identified in Appendix 5 into

those Guidelines, in a manner that is consistent with those amendments. 11.7 Any amendment to the Silviculture Guidelines following the incorporation of the

amendments identified in Appendix 5 into those Guidelines will be prepared by the Department with public consultation, submitted to the Conservation Commission for advice and approved by the Minister for the Environment before they take effect.

11.8 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will monitor and record the areas

over which each different silvicultural treatment is achieved in each year.


6.2. Draft Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 06 6.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 6 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in providing information on timber production of jarrah and karri sawlogs on a sustained yield basis. 6.2.2. Rationale This KPI addresses the issue that the volume of logs removed each year presents an incomplete picture of harvesting trends. For example the area of forest harvested and consequently disturbed each year could rise significantly even though the annual volume of logs removed remains constant. This KPI shows trends in the total area harvested for each silvicultural objective in the context of the total forest area available for timber production. 6.2.3. Background and context The native forest available for timber production comprises a broad range of forest structure and composition, on sites of varying productivity. Consequently, when areas are cut over, the Silvicultural Guidelines seek different silvicultural objectives according to the existing stand structure and condition. For example, where there is a predominance of vigorously growing trees, the stand may be thinned to promote growth on the retained trees whilst providing a yield of log products; where this is not the case, the stands are harvested with the object of regenerating them. The total area that is cut over each year to the various silvicultural objectives provides a general indication of the rate of harvest across that portion of the forest that is available for timber production. Changes in the relative proportion of area cutover to the different objectives will reflect variations in the structure and composition of the forest made available on an annual harvest plan, as well as the degree of consistency in the application of the Silviculture Guidelines. The sustained yield of sawlogs made available under the Plan is set on the basis of an annual supply of log volume, not area cut over, due to the inherent variability in the structure, composition and regeneration status of the forest. Nevertheless, in calculating a sustained yield, broad assumptions are necessary about the longer term average composition and the range of silvicultural objectives obtained on present and future stands. Consequently, comparisons of the longer-term trends in areas cutover with the areas assumed in the calculation of the sustained yield provide useful feedback at a strategic level. 6.2.4. Issues Annual targets for the area cut over to each objective have not been set. This is for several reasons. The placement of coupes onto an annual harvest plan is influenced by a number of operational and planning factors aside from the structure and composition of the forest, including the seasonal prescribed burning program and the need for geographic spread across timber supply zones. Annual fluctuations in the areas cutover to each silvicultural objective are therefore expected due to the variation inherent in the mix of forest in coupes in annual and three-year harvest plans. The month of harvest completion can also influence the year for which figures are recorded, with apparent spikes in the total area for one year sometimes being partly an artefact of the size of the coupes and lengthy period that harvest operations may have taken to completion. However, over the 10-year period of a Forest Management Plan the trends within each objective provide an indication of consistency of the operational level harvest outcomes with the assumed strategic level wood-flows contributing to the sustained yield. This is particularly relevant to assumed future forest structure arising from the creation of regeneration and thinning during the period of this plan. For example, significant variations in the area of jarrah regeneration released


over the period of the Management Plan would affect future projected availability of sawlogs from regrowth stands over the next century. The level of precision in the cut over area measurements, silvicultural categories aggregated for reporting, and the timing of coupe completion can give rise to some data quality issues, but the data collection and reporting standards have been diligently maintained for over a decade and the SILREC system provides reliable statistics for reporting on this KPI. 6.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI are: Entity Target Area of forest type cut over to each silvicultural objective for jarrah Area of forest type cut over to each silvicultural objective for karri Area of forest type cut over to each silvicultural objective for wandoo

No target

6.2.6. Required data Required data Collection and storage method Custodians Area of forest harvested for each silvicultural objective relevant to:

jarrah karri wandoo

Data for the silvicultural objective applied within harvested patches of forest to be provided by Forest Products Commission to the Department for recording and storage in the Silvicultural Recording System (SILREC). Net area harvested in the period determined by DEC Forest Management Branch.


6.2.7. Calculation method Entity to be measured Calculation method Area of each forest type harvested according to each silvicultural objective

Areas will be calculated within SILREC following capture from maps or images produced at a relevant scale.

6.2.8. Measurement, calculation and reporting frequency Required measurement Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Area of forest harvested Annual Annual

6.2.9. Data presentation Measurement Presentation Area (hectares) of each forest type harvested according to silvicultural objectives

Present the area of forest cut according to each silvicultural objective as a table with annual reporting periods. Text to describe and interpret data presented in the table.



Table. Annual area (hectares) of native forest cut over to each silvicultural objective Forest type Silvicultural objective Area cut over (ha) Jarrah Promote growth on retained trees (thinning) Release regeneration (gap) Establish regeneration – eastern jarrah (shelterwood) Establish regeneration – western jarrah (shelterwood) Single tree selection (retention in dieback areas) Selective Karri Establish jarrah/karri regeneration Establish regeneration (clearfall karri) Establish regeneration (partial karri clearfall) Promote growth on retained trees (thinning) Wandoo Establish regeneration Promote growth on retained trees (thinning) Other Other (clearing for mining and utilities) 6.2.10. Responsibility Forest Products Commission will be responsible for:

providing boundaries of interim (proposed) and final silvicultural objectives applied to all areas of forest harvested; and

forwarding data to Forest Management Branch to update SILREC. Forest Management Branch will be responsible for:

determining the net area harvested (area of coupe minus the area of informal reserves and other unharvested patches);

managing and updating the SILREC system; data collation and analysis for this KPI; and data presentation and interpretation.

Forest Policy and Practices Branch will be responsible for collating information for this KPI for inclusion in a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for the auditing, reviewing and publication of its report.


7. KPI 7 - Removal of non sawlog timber 7.1 Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to productive capacity is: The overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and, where applicable, enhance the productive capacity of the forest (Forest Management Plan p32). Forest Management Plan extract (page 39) Key performance indicator 7 The removal of non-sawlog timber. Performance measure Total removals of firewood compared to the authorised removal

through contract and licence. Performance target(s) Authorised removals more than 70 per cent of estimated total

removals based on survey information. Reporting After each five years. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to the


The objective in relation to the removal of non-sawlog timber is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to manage the removal of forest produce, other than sawlogs and residue logs, in a manner that, so far as is practicable and sustainable, satisfies public demand for that produce (Forest Management Plan p36): Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 13.3 The Department will conduct research and undertake public consultation with a view to

determining the environmental management requirements for the production of domestic firewood.

7.2 Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 7 7.2.1 Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 7 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets through tracking any change in the supply of firewood from the forest. 7.2.2 Rationale This indicator is helpful as it measures the amount of firewood taken from the forest, and reveals if that volume is increasing or decreasing as a result of market requirements or management practices. 7.2.3 Background and context State forest and timber reserves are the major source of firewood. Knowledge of supply and demand of firewood is not as well understood as for sawlogs. Performance measurements from KPI 7 will reveal any change in the firewood demand and facilitate examination of the reasons for these changes.

7.2.4 Issues The Forest Products Commission sells firewood to commercial suppliers via Contract of Sale. These sales can be relatively easily tracked and reported. With respect to domestic firewood collection, Regulation 98 of the Forest Management Regulations provides that Public Firewood Areas may be set aside by the publishing of an order in the Govt. Gazette. For Public Firewood Areas to be enforceable and have the desired effect of directing the public to specified areas to collect firewood, they must be gazetted. Removal of firewood by the public is undertaken on the basis that a member of the public may not remove more than one tonne of firewood within a 60 day period between 1 June and 30 September; or on any one occasion between 1 October and 31 May. A firewood survey conducted in the Swan Region in 2005 provided a basis for estimating the actual removal of firewood. It is intended to repeat this survey in the second half of the FMP. 7.2.5 The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Surveyed volume of firewood collected under authorizations from DEC in the Swan Region.

Authorised removals more than 70 per cent of estimated total removals based on survey information.

Volume of firewood sold under Contract of Sale by FPC.

Trend – no target

Number and volume of firewood authorizations sold by DEC in Swan, South West and Warren Regions.

Trend – no target.

7.2.6 Required data

Required data Collection & storage method Custodians Estimate of firewood removal by the public in the Swan Region.

Firewood Surveillance Survey Forest Policy and Practices Branch

Volume of firewood sold under Contract of Sale by FPC.

LOIS Forest Products Commission

Number of firewood authorizations issued by DEC.

Authorization returns from Swan, South West and Warren Region.

Regional Services (Swan, South West and Warren Region)

7.2.7 Calculation method

Parameter to be measured Calculation method Use a firewood surveillance survey for the Swan Region to estimate firewood removal by the public.

Estimate the volume of firewood removed by the public from for the survey period, and then determine the per cent of estimated total removals based on survey information.

Firewood removal under FPC Contract of Sale.

List the number of Contracts of Sale and the total volume of firewood removed by FPC contractors for the reporting period.


Report the number of Firewood Authorizations issued by DEC in Swan, South West and Warren Region.

Provide a summary of the total number of Firewood Authorizations issued by DEC and the associated total volume.

7.2.8 Measurement, calculation and reporting frequency

Required measurement Measurement frequency


Estimated volume of firewood removed in Swan Region using a surveillance survey.

Five Yearly Five Yearly

Firewood removal under FPC Contract of Sale. Yearly Yearly Number of Firewood Authorizations issued by DEC. Yearly Yearly Estimated volume of firewood authorised by DEC. Yearly Yearly

7.2.9 Data presentation Table 1: Survey of firewood removals from Swan Region.

Year

Record type

All vehicles recorded

Vehicles from public firewood areas

Vehicles from outside public firewood areas

Number of vehicles [% of total]

Volume of firewood [% of total]





2005 Authority 127 [41] 105 [41] 122 [54] 101 [53] 5 [6] 4 [6] No authority 186 [59] 152 [59] 103 [46] 90 [47] 83 [94] 62 [94] Survey total 313 257 225 191 88 66 2010 Authority No authority Survey total

% variation from previous survey

Table 2: Summary of firewood sales and removals by FPC.

Year Component 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

No. of Contract of Sale.

Contract volume. Removed volume. % removal.

Table 3: Summary of firewood licences issued by DEC 3 (a) - Number of licences issued.

Year Source Region 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Swan South West Warren Total



3 (b) - Volume authorised for removal by DEC licences.

Year Source Region 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Swan South West Warren Total

7.2.10 Responsibility Forests Products Commission is responsible for:

providing a list of Contracts of Sale for firewood for the reporting period;

providing a summary of the contracted volume of firewood for each Contract of Sale for the reporting period;

providing reports on the actual volume of firewood removed under each Contract of Sale for the reporting period from LOIS; and

providing explanatory notes for trends. Regional Services (Swan, South West and Warren Region) are responsible for:

providing the number of firewood authorizations issued by DEC for the reporting period; and

providing the volume of firewood authorised to be removed on firewood authorizations issued for the reporting period.

Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for:

planning and conducting a firewood surveillance survey in the second half of the FMP period;

providing a summary report for the survey including an estimate of the volume of firewood removed by the public; and

collating this information together with other information into a report to the Conservation Commission.

The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report.


8. KPI 8 - The presence of Sirex in softwood plantations 8.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to productive capacity is: The overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and, where applicable, enhance the productive capacity of the forest. (Forest Management Plan p32) Forest Management Plan extract (page 40) Key performance indicator 8 The presence of Sirex in softwood plantations. Performance measure Evidence of Sirex in trap trees. Performance target(s) No evidence of Sirex in trap trees. Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Forest Products Commission to initiate a control program. The objective in relation to weeds pests and diseases is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the operational scale for the purpose of seeking to reduce the impact of weeds, pests and diseases on the productive capacity of the forest: (Forest Management Plan p36) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 14.1 In addition to the measures referred to in Action 18.4, the Department will:

14.1.1 establish a process for the identification and investigation of weed, pest and disease outbreaks that threaten productivity; and

14.1.2 where appropriate, prescribe measures in Silviculture Guidelines to limit the impact of weeds, pests and diseases on productivity.

14.2 (Plantations): The Forest Products Commission will:

14.2.1 maintain an early warning system for Sirex in pine plantations; and 14.2.2 monitor weeds, pests and diseases affecting productivity and, where reasonable

and practicable, take measures to control them. 8.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 8 8.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 8 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its target of not allowing Sirex to become established in plantations, and thus minimising the impact of Sirex on the productive capacity of pine plantations in the plan area. 8.2.2. Rationale Sirex outbreaks have the potential to seriously reduce the productive capacity of the State’s softwood plantations. Early detection of Sirex is vital if biological agents are to be successfully introduced to prevent its spread and minimise damage. Monitoring undertaken in association with KPI 8 will provide for the early detection of Sirex in softwood plantations so inoculation management plans can be implemented effectively.

8.2.3. Background and context Sirex noctilio is a wood wasp species native to Europe that infests pine trees. It was accidentally introduced into New Zealand in 1945 and has since been discovered in Australia where outbreaks have been recorded in Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Sirex will normally complete one generation per year. Female wasps deposit eggs (oviposition) and toxic mucus together with a symbiotic dry rot fungus into the bark of the tree. Sirex larvae then feed on the fungus as they tunnel through the wood. The combination of the fungus and the toxic mucus together causes the death of the tree. Adults emerge from December to May and live for only a few days. Pinus radiata is highly susceptible to Sirex attack. Trees attacked by Sirex begin showing symptoms that include beads of sap on the bark as a result of oviposition and tree crown colour-changes as the tree is weakened. Crowns will change from green to light green, yellow then reddish-brown. Trees that are part of un-thinned stands or stressed from wind, fire or logging tend to be more susceptible to attack than healthy trees in well thinned stands. Biological agents have been introduced to control Sirex with varying success. The parasitic nematode, Deladenus siricidicolahas has been highly successful with populations of Sirex collapsing as a result of its introduction. Some parasitic wasps (parasitoids) have been introduced including the species Ibalia, Rhyssa, Megarhyssa, and Schletterarius and have been moderately effective but their activity alone is not sufficient to quash Sirex outbreaks. Sirex has been intercepted occasionally in Fremantle and vigilant quarantine has ensured it has not established itself in Western Australia softwood plantations. 8.2.4. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Presence of Sirex No evidence of Sirex in trap trees.


Required data Collection & storage method Responsibility Forest Products Commission

A network of trap trees to be established at a sufficient number of locations in Pinus radiata stands. Full monitoring procedures, trap tree preparation and data collection to be undertaken and recorded by FPC’s Softwood Silviculturist.

Indicative data for the area of the Forest Management Plan from the establishment of trap trees in Pinus radiata plantations.


Entity to be measured Calculation method Presence of Sirex in trap trees.

Calculation for KPI reporting requires Yes/No for Sirex detection at all monitored sites.


Required metric

Measurement frequency Calculation frequency

Assessment of trap trees for any Sirex infestation to be conducted at periodic intervals between autumn and early winter following the preparation of trap

Presence of Sirex infestation in trap trees (Yes/No)

Annually


trees between November and December. 8.2.8. Data presentation

Metric Presentation Presence of Sirex infestation in trap trees (Yes/No)

Data to be presented in a table (table 1) including number of plantations assessed, number of tress assessed and number of infested trees. Text to describe the monitoring process and any Sirex infestation if detected in trap trees.

Table 1: Sirex detection in trap tree plots for reporting period 2004-2005. No. of Plantations Assessed No. of Trees Assessed No. of infested Trees

8.2.9. Responsibility Softwood Silviculturist, Forest Products Commission is responsible for:

establishing a network of trap trees to detect Sirex;

undertaking trap tree poisoning;

periodic assessment of trap trees;

data collation and analysis for KPI; and

data presentation and interpretation. These procedures to be conducted each year as stipulated in KPI reporting. Forest Products Commission is responsible for collating information for this KPI together with other KPI that require reporting by FPC into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and publication of its report. 8.2.10. Work Instructions Stages for establishing a network of detection using trap trees attractive to Sirex.

1. Site Selection for trap trees:

approximately five trees from un-thinned plantations 10-25 years old;

selected from trees that are under stress from fire, drought/moisture stress and pine needle blight;

trees that are near to all weather access roads; and

trees with poor form to minimise wastage of quality timber.

2. Timing of trap tree poisoning requires injecting herbicide into trap trees mid-November to mid-December to weaken trees and make attractive to Sirex over their peak flight season (January-March).

3. Poisoning technique requires:

selection of appropriate herbicide;

tree butts to be made accessible by thoroughly trimming branches; and

herbicide to be injected into sapwood (not bark) 20cm from the ground using a tree injector with an injection rate of 2ml of undiluted chemical every l5 cm around the stem.



4. Assessing results Trees to be examined during autumn and early winter for:

signs of stress from herbicide injection;

signs of Sirex attack (brown staining of the cambium layer beneath the bark); and

identification to be confirmed by Forest Entomologist if infestation is suspected.

5. Results to be recorded for each trap tree as demonstrated in table 2 below. Table 2: Detection of Sirex in trap tree compartments Poison

date Assessment of poison success Trees infested

Date Tree 1 Y/N N Tree 2 Y/N N Tree 3 Y/N N Tree 4 Y/N Y Fell tree and inoculate Tree 5 Y/N N

8.2.11. Further reading Department of Conservation and Land Management Western Australia (1988). Sirex Plan. National Sirex Coordination Committee (1999). National Sirex Control Strategy (Operations Worksheet). Neumann, F.G, P. Andrew, R. Shepherd, and H. Stewart (1989). Guidelines for the Control of Sirex Wasp in Victoria. Lands and Forest Division, Report to Regional Management. Neumann, F.G, J.L. Morey, and R.J. McKimm (1987). The Sirex Wasp in Victoria, Lands and Forest Division, Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands.

9. KPI 9 - Time to regenerate harvested areas 9.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to productive capacity is: The overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and, where applicable, enhance the productive capacity of the forest. (Forest Management Plan p32) Forest Management Plan extract (page 40) Key performance indicator 9 Time to regenerate harvested areas. Performance measure The time between completion of native forest harvesting of a

coupe for regeneration and the completion of post- harvest regeneration treatment.

Performance target(s) For karri and planted jarrah: achieve more than 75% of areas treated to be completed

within 18 months; and achieve 100 per cent of areas treated to be completed within

30 months. For other jarrah: achieve 100 per cent of areas treated to be completed within

18 months. Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall

The Forest Products Commission to advise the Department how it will rectify the shortfall. The Department to determine the need for a revision of management practices, in consultation with the Conservation Commission.

The objective in relation to regeneration and rehabilitation of disturbed forest is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to regenerate or rehabilitate disturbed forest so as to maintain the productive capacity, flora composition and structural attributes of that forest in the long term (Forest Management Plan p 37): Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 15.1 The Forest Products Commission will conduct regeneration operations in a manner that:

15.1.1 is in accordance with the Department’s Silviculture Guidelines; and 15.1.2 prior to the formal incorporation of the amendments identified in Appendix 5 into

those Guidelines, is consistent with those amendments. 9.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 9 9.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 9 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets in regard to the time taken to regenerate harvested areas. 9.2.2. Rationale Completing regeneration treatments following harvesting operations is essential in maintaining the long term productive capacity, flora composition and structural attributes of native forests. Time delays between harvesting and regeneration reduce the ability to achieve prescribed burn outcomes and may lead to site degradation. Ensuring that areas are regenerated within target


timeframes increases the likelihood of achieving effective regeneration and potentially reduces the time taken for biodiversity to return to pre-disturbance levels. 9.2.3. Background and context Regeneration of harvested areas involves the completion of a sequence of tasks, and delays are possible at any step within this sequence e.g. extended harvesting time due to access restrictions, lack of available machinery to complete burn boundary track construction, culling works not completed, lack of suitable burning days to undertake the burn, or lack of suitable seedlings for planting. The date of the last operation in the sequence of regeneration treatments is seen as the date regeneration treatments were completed. This operation may or may not result in effective regeneration however the effectiveness of regeneration will be monitored through KPI 10 – effectiveness of regeneration of native forest and plantation.) Although delays may occur at any stage in the regeneration sequence there are important milestones within the sequence that will aid in the identification of the cause if unacceptable regeneration delay occurs. The date that all fallers blocks are certified as complete is considered to be the harvesting completion date for a coupe, not when transportation of timber products to customers is complete. 9.2.4. Issues Harvesting Completion

Delays in harvest completion may be extensive and due to a variety of factors, some manageable (e.g. removal of timber) and some not (access restrictions due to risk of soil damage). This KPI does not address delays in harvesting. Records are kept of the completion of harvesting by block (FPC 104). Although record keeping standards have improved over time, records are not available for all harvesting coupes. Only those coupes with records available are possible to include in reporting of regeneration delay. Regeneration Operations

The silviculture objective of a harvesting area may not necessarily be to create regeneration e.g. thinning or dieback selection. The area reported under this KPI will not equate to the total area harvested in a year, rather it will be a subset of this area. Availability of Seed

Where the silvicultural objective is to establish regeneration, the regeneration burn should only occur when there is an adequate seed crop present. Some delays in regeneration establishment are therefore desirable to ensure that regeneration effectiveness is not compromised. 9.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI are:

Entity Target Harvesting completion date.

For karri and planted jarrah: achieve more than 75% of areas treated to be

completed within 18 months; and achieve 100 per cent of areas treated to be completed

within 30 months. Regeneration completion date. For other jarrah: achieve 100 per cent of areas treated to be completed

within 18 months.




Required data Collection & storage method Custodians Area harvested by silviculture type.

Maps to be digitised by Forest Management Branch and stored in Silvicultural Recording System (SILREC).


Area regenerated by silvicultural type and date of regeneration completion.

SILREC to be updated when regeneration operations completed


Date of harvesting completion.

Forest Products Commission to record date of harvest completion for all coupes by fellers blocks. Information to be entered into SILREC



Entity to be measured Calculation method Regeneration delay. Determine the area harvested by each silvicultural type for a

calendar year. Classify the regeneration area by completion categories Calculate the proportion of program in each category.

9.2.8. Entity measurement, calculation and reporting frequency

Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Harvest area Annually on a calendar year basis Annually on a calendar year

basis Date of regeneration completion.

Annually on a calendar year basis Annually on a calendar year basis


Metric Presentation Proportion of forest regenerated within target timeframes.

Present the area of forest regenerated by regeneration objective against the target completion timeframes. Text to interpret and analyse data.

Table 1. Proportion of sampled jarrah harvest coupes in various categories of time between

harvest and completion of regeneration treatments. Year harvest completed

Less than 18 months

18 to 30 months

Greater than 30 months

Regeneration not recorded

at 30/6/08

Total

2004 % (n) % (n) % (n) % (n) 100% (n) 2005 % (n) % (n) % (n) % (n) 100% (n) 2006 % (n) % (n) % (n) % (n) 100% (n) Total % (n) % (n) % (n) % (n) 100% (n) Target 100%

Numbers in parentheses refer to the number of coupes contributing data for that year.


Table 2. Proportion of sampled karri harvest coupes in various categories of time between

harvest and completion of regeneration treatments. Year harvest

complete Less than 18

months 18 to 30 months



at 30/6/08

Total

2004 % (n) % (n) % (n) % (n) 100% (n) 2005 % (n) % (n) % (n) % (n) 100% (n) 2006 % (n) % (n) % (n) % (n) 100% (n) Total % (n) % (n) % (n) % (n) 100% (n) Target 75% 100 %

Numbers in parentheses refer to the number of coupes contributing data for that year. The following tables (Table 6 - Table 7) from the Mid-term Audit of the Forest Management Plan show the required presentation format for this data. Table 6. Per cent of sampled jarrah harvest coupes in various categories of time between

harvest and completion of regeneration treatments. The sample covers coupes in which harvesting was completed during the period 2004-2006, in which regeneration was not based on planting of seedlings and hence where the performance target is 100 percent of areas treated to be completed within 18 months. Numbers in parentheses refer to the number of coupes contributing data for that year.

Year harvest

completed

Less than 18 months

18 to 30 months



at 30/6/08

Total

2004 13% (1) 38% (3) 38% (3) 13% (1) 100% (8) 2005 29% (2) 57% (4) 0% (0) 14% (1) 100% (7) 2006 50% (8) 6% (1) 6% (1) 38% (6) 100% (16) Total 35% (11) 26% (8) 13 (4) 26% (8) 100% (31) Target 100% Table 7. Per cent of sampled karri harvest coupes in various categories of time between

harvest and completion of regeneration treatments. The sample covers coupes in which harvesting was completed during the period 2004 to 2006, in which regeneration was based on planting of seedlings and hence where the performance target is 75 percent of areas treated to be completed within 18 months and 100 percent of areas treated to be completed within 30 months. Numbers in parentheses refer to the number of coupes contributing data for that year.

Year harvest

complete

Less than 18 months

18 to 30 months



at 30/6/08

Total

2004 50% (2) 50% (2) 0% (0) 0% (0) 100% (4) 2005 70% (7) 30% (3) 0% (0) 0% (0) 100% (10) 2006 100% (7) 0% (0) 0% (0) 0% (0) 100% (7) Total 76% (16) 24% (5) 0% (0) 0% (0) 100% (21) Target 75% 100 % 9.2.10. Responsibility Forest Products Commission will be responsible for:

maintaining records of all regeneration areas i.e. karri regeneration, jarrah establishment and jarrah release;


maintaining records of all harvesting completion dates for regeneration operations; forwarding of records of all regeneration areas and completion dates for regeneration

operations at least 6 monthly to Forest Management Branch to update SILREC systems; and

provide feedback as to why delays may have occurred in treatments. Forest Management Branch will be responsible for:

managing and updating of SILREC system; data collation and summarisation for KPI; and data presentation.

Policy and Practice Branch will be responsible for:

liaison with the Forest Products Commission and DEC Fire Management Services Branch to determine the cause of delays;

analysis and interpretation of data and preparation of text for report; and collating information for this KPI together with other KPI’s into a report to the Conservation

Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for the auditing, reviewing and publication of its report.


10. KPI 10 - Effectiveness of regeneration of native forest and plantation

10.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to productive capacity is: The overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and, where applicable, enhance the productive capacity of the forest. (Forest Management Plan p32) Forest Management Plan extract (page 40) Key performance indicator 10 Effectiveness of regeneration of native forest and plantation. Performance measure The proportion of the sampled annual regeneration release

program that does not meet the stocking standard set out in the Silviculture Guidelines.

Performance target(s) No more than five per cent of the area regenerated requiring remedial action.

Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Forest Products Commission to advise the Department how

it will rectify the shortfall. The Department to determine the need for a revision of management practices, in consultation with the Conservation Commission..

The objective in relation to regeneration and rehabilitation of disturbed forest is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to regenerate or rehabilitate disturbed forest so as to maintain the productive capacity, flora composition and structural attributes of that forest in the long term (Forest Management Plan p 37): Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 15.1 The Forest Products Commission will conduct regeneration operations in a manner that:

15.1.1 is in accordance with the Department’s Silviculture Guidelines; and 15.1.2 prior to the formal incorporation of the amendments identified in Appendix 5 into

those Guidelines, is consistent with those amendments. 15.4 (Plantations) The Forest Products Commission will:

15.4.1 regenerate areas of plantation that are clearfelled and are able to be replanted with exotic species in accordance with the Forest Products Commission’s Plantation Management Guidelines;

15.4.3 where regeneration or rehabilitation operations do not result in regeneration or rehabilitation to a standard specified in the relevant guidelines, investigate the cause and if necessary, repeat the regeneration or rehabilitation operations in order to achieve that standard.

10.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 10 10.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 10 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets in regard to effective regeneration of forest and plantation areas.

10.2.2. Rationale In order to maintain the productive capacity of forest and plantation areas and to provide for a range of other forest values, forest and plantation areas must be regenerated after particular types of disturbance. 10.2.3. Background and context DEC and FPC silviculture guidelines detail a number of survey requirements to assess the effectiveness of native forest regeneration following harvesting. Reporting for this KPI will involve summarising this information for each calendar year. Karri Regeneration Karri regeneration surveys are required on each and every hectare of karri forest regenerated. The success criteria is for 85 per cent of sample points in a specified patch or area stocked at least at the rate of 1666 stems per hectare. Areas that fall below this standard are to be infill planted to ensure the target of 85 per cent is achieved in the following year. Additionally all areas of 1 ha or more that are stocked below 1666 stems per hectare will require infill planting. Jarrah Regeneration- release All jarrah regeneration release areas require inspection for regeneration adequacy and regeneration surveys are required on a 5 per cent sample of areas greater than 2 ha. The table below outlines the success criteria for these surveys.

Western Jarrah Eastern Jarrah 60 percent of sample points stocked at the rate of:

65 percent of sample points stocked at the rate of:

200 or more stems/ha of saplings or stool coppice from stumps <30 cm diameter;

500 or more stems/ha of saplings;

OR

1000 or more stems/ha of jarrah or marri saplings/stool coppice + jarrah ground coppice or marri advance growth.

OR 350 or more stems/ha of jarrah or

marri saplings/stool coppice + jarrah ground coppice, marri or wandoo advance growth.

Greater than 20 percent of the regeneration is required to be jarrah where the overstorey is predominantly jarrah.

Cells that are under-stocked at this rate will require infill planting with jarrah seedlings. Additionally all areas of 0.5 ha or more that are stocked below these rates will require infill planting.

Plantation establishment

All plantation areas established on DEC-managed lands require survival surveys to be conducted. Areas not achieving at least an 85 per cent survival rate require remedial treatment. 10.2.4. Issues Jarrah forest

The jarrah forest consists as a mosiac of different forest structures and as such the silviculture objective may change from patch to patch as determined by the treemarker. Attempts are made to capture and record this variation both during treemarking and following harvesting, however the mapped information in some cases is only indicative. Identifying the boundaries of patches that require surveying is therefore difficult, and not suited to the survey technique currently identified in the silviculture guidelines.


The current regeneration survey method assumes that boundaries between regeneration objectives are clearly defined and occur in large aggregarates. The silviculture objective may vary as frequently as patches every 50 m in diameter. The regeneration objective selected at the time of treemarking may not be achieved due to the prevalence of a large number of cull trees. Where the basal area of cull trees is greater than 12 m2/ha the silvicultural outcome will be different to the treemarking objective, and recorded as selective. These areas often occur as part of the mosaic and are difficult to exclude from the regeneration survey. Areas of forest subject to mining ie within the 25 year bauxite mining envelope do not receive post-harvest treatment and therefore need to be excluded from regeneration effectiveness calculations.

Karri forest

Regeneration effectiveness reporting in the karri forest is not complicated by the fine mosaic that is associated with the jarrah forest. The current guidance documents require that all regenerated areas be sampled to determine regeneration success.

Backlog treatments

The silviculture recording system (SILREC) records a substantial area of harvested forests in which surveys have not been completed. Reporting on the current year regeneration program does not capture the level to which the backlog has either been reduced or increased. 10.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI are:

Entity Target Area of regeneration surveyed. Actual requiring remedial action.

No more than five per cent of the area regenerated/established requiring remedial action.


Required data Collection & storage method Custodians Area regenerated by silviculture objective.

Maps to be digitized by Forest Management Branch and stored in Silvicultural Recording System (SILREC).


Area surveyed by patch with survey results.

Surveys to be completed by Forest Products Commission, reviewed for standards by the DEC Senior Silviculturist and results to be recorded in SILREC.


Area requiring remedial action.

Forest Products Commission to complete regeneration surveys as specified in the silviculture guidelines, including determination of areas requiring remedial action.



Entity to be measured Calculation method Karri infill area. Total area of karri forest regenerated plus previous year’s infill

programs (excluding landings and gravel pits). Complete regeneration surveys for each coupe/cell identified and identify areas requiring infill. Summarise area surveyed and areas requiring remediation. Calculate proportion of program requiring remedial treatment.

Jarrah infill (release) Total area of jarrah forest cut to regeneration release with patch size Commenced: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011 Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division of 180

Entity to be measured Calculation method area. greater than 2 ha, outside of mining envelope.

Exclude landing and gravel pit areas. Sub-totalled for eastern and western jarrah. Complete survey on 5% by area of each coupe. Identify areas requiring infill. Summarise area surveyed and areas requiring remedial treatment. Calculate proportion requiring remedial treatment.

Plantation infill area. Area of plantation re-established. Survival surveys to be completed. Summarise program results. Identify proportion of the program requiring infill.


Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Karri infill % Annually on a calendar year

basis. Annually on a calendar year basis.

Jarrah infill (release) % Annually on a calendar year basis.

Annually on a calendar year basis.

Plantation infill % Annually on a calendar year basis.

Annually on a calendar year basis.


Metric Presentation Area of forest / plantation requiring follow-up treatment.

Present the area of forest/plantation requiring follow-up treatment for plantations, jarrah and karri regeneration/establishment area against the target at annual reporting periods. Text to interpret and analyse data.

Table 1. Annual area of karri forest regenerated that was surveyed and required remediation to

achieve stocking density standards specified in the silviculture guidelines.

Year Area (ha)

regenerated in previous year

Area (ha) surveyed

Area (ha) understocked

Area requiring remedial

treatment (% of area surveyed)

2004 2005 2006 2007

Table 2. Annual area of jarrah forest regenerated that was surveyed and required remediation to

achieve stocking density standards specified in the silviculture guidelines. Area (ha)

regenerated in previous year

Area (ha) surveyed




Year

2004 2005 2006 2007


Table 3. Annual area of plantation (pine) forest regenerated that was surveyed and required

remediation to achieve stocking density standards specified in the silviculture guidelines.

Year

Area (ha) regenerated in previous year

Area (ha) surveyed




2004 2005 2006 2007

The following tables (Table 8 - Table 10) from the Mid-term Audit of the Forest Management Plan show the required presentation format for this data.

Table 8. Annual area of karri forest regenerated that was surveyed and required remediation to achieve stocking density standards specified in the Silviculture Guidelines.

Year


Area (ha) surveyed




2004 1,409.6 1,381.5 8.4 0.6 2005 1,323.0 1,314.6 5.9 0.4 2006 737.5 731.6 1.0 0.1 2007 674.5 673.5 4.0 0.6

Table 9. Annual area of jarrah forest regenerated that was surveyed and required remediation to achieve stocking density standards specified in the Silviculture Guidelines.

Year


Area (ha) surveyed




2004 1,614.7 952.1 0 0 2005 962.6 512.2 0 0 2006 287.7 222.4 0 0 2007 302.9 173.8 0 0

Table 10. Annual area of plantation (pine) forest regenerated that was surveyed and required remediation to achieve stocking density standards specified in the Silviculture Guidelines.

Year


Area (ha) surveyed




2004 1,418.1 1,418.1 105.0 7.4 2005 1,455.8 1,455.8 143.0 9.8 2006 1,432.7 1,432.7 45.0 3.1 2007 1,511.5 1,511.5 52.0 3.4



10.2.10. Responsibility Forest Products Commission will be responsible for: (Native Forests)

compiling records for area of karri regeneration, and jarrah release; forwarding of records to Forest Management Branch to update SILREC systems; completion of regeneration and rehabilitation surveys; and forwarding surveys to DEC’s Senior Silviculturist for review.

(Plantations)

compiling records for area of plantation establishment; completion of establishment surveys; and forwarding summary of surveys to DEC’s Senior Silviculturist for inclusion in report.

Forest Management Branch will be responsible for:

managing and updating of SILREC system; and data collation.

Policy and Practice Branch will be responsible for:

review of survey data standards; forwarding survey data to FMB for collation; data presentation; interpretation of data and development of text; and collating information for this KPI together with other KPI’s into a report to the Conservation

Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for the auditing, reviewing and publication of its report.


11. KPI 11 - Forecast strategic timber yield versus actual timber yield.

Not yet completed.


12. KPI 12 - Achievement of early thinning schedules that underpin future yield

Not yet completed.


13. KPI 13 - Direct and indirect employment in the timber industries

13.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to productive capacity is: The overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and, where applicable, enhance the productive capacity of the forest. (Forest Management Plan p32) Forest Management Plan extract (page 41)

Key performance indicator 13 Direct and indirect employment in the timber industries. Performance measure The numbers employed in native timber harvesting, processing

and downstream manufacture. Performance target(s) No target, trends to be reported. Reporting Forest Products Commission to report biennially. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to


The objective in relation to is: There is no specific objective in the Forest Management Plan dealing with employment, however this Key Performance Indicator will enable changes in the level of employment and employment categories to be recognised and investigated if required. 13.2 Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 13 13.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 13 is to assess the level of employment in timber in native forest and State owned plantations within the area covered by the Forest Management Plan through tracking the change in the number of personnel and their work category. 13.2.2. Rationale This indicator is helpful as it measures the number of persons employed directly and indirectly by the Forest Products Commission (FPC) in work associated with native forest management, harvesting and sawmilling, and management, harvesting and sawmilling from State owned plantations. The key performance indicator will reveal if that number is increasing or decreasing as a result of management structures or market requirements. 13.2.3. Background and context State forest and timber reserves supply a range of sawlog, residue and other products. Performance measurements from KPI 13 will reveal any change in number of persons employed in the timber harvesting and sawmilling sectors and facilitate examination of the reasons for these changes. 13.2.4. Issues The wording of the key performance indicator focuses on the numbers employed in native timber harvesting, processing and downstream manufacture. Collation and reporting on the numbers employed in “timber industry” (which includes forest operations, processing and downstream

manufacture) is a component of the Australia’s State of the Forests Report, and collected as part of Australian Bureau of Statistics census surveys. There appears to be little value in attempting to break this down for native forest timber in WA every two years. Given previous experience from DEC staff and FPC in trying to collate employment information from within the sector it was decided that the most appropriate way of examining and reporting on employment numbers in the south-west forests was to require the FPC to report every two years using a qualitative statement outlining trends in employment in native forest management, harvesting and sawmilling plus opportunistic use of data sourced from national statistics. 13.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI are:

Entity Target A qualitative statement outlining trends in employment in native forest management, harvesting and sawmilling plus opportunistic use of data sourced from national statistics

No target



Custodians

A qualitative statement outlining trends in employment in native forest management, harvesting and sawmilling

Biennially Forest Products Commission

Data sourced from national statistics As available Forest Products Commission


Entity to be measured Calculation method No calculations are required. N/A


Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency A qualitative statement outlining trends in employment in native forest management, harvesting and sawmilling.

Biennially Biennially


Metric Presentation A qualitative statement outlining trends in employment

Present the trend in the number of persons employed in native forest native forest management, harvesting and sawmilling. Statement to include a comparison between current period trends and the data from the previous reporting period, and interpretation and explanation for categories that have undergone significant changes from the preceding period.


13.2.10 Responsibility Forest Products Commission will be responsible for:

Data collection and analysis;

Comparison between current period trends and the data from the previous reporting period;

Providing interpretation and explanation for categories that have undergone significant changes from the preceding period;

Sourcing and incorporating data from national statistics into the statement for the reporting period; and

Providing the statement and supporting information to Forest Policy and Practice Branch. Forest Policy and Practice Branch will be responsible for:

Collation of information on this KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for the auditing, reviewing and publication of its report.


14. KPI 14 - Access for apiculture 14.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to productive capacity is: The overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and, where applicable, enhance the productive capacity of the forest. (Forest Management Plan p32) Forest Management Plan extract (page 41) Key performance indicator 14 Access for apiculture. Performance measure The number of registered sites by land category. Performance target(s) No target, trends to be reported. Reporting Biennially. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to


The objective in relation to apiary sites is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to manage the removal of forest produce, other than sawlogs and residue logs, in a manner that, so far as is practicable and sustainable, satisfies public demand for that produce: (Forest Management Plan p36) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 13.1 The Department will:

13.1.1 regulate the supply of forest produce, other than sawlogs, residue logs, and craftwood (‘other forest produce’) through the administration of licensing legislation;

13.1.2 maintain and, where appropriate, prepare guidelines for the management of other forest produce that: are to be periodically reviewed, with public consultation, and in the case of new guidelines or revisions to guidelines, are to be submitted to

the Conservation Commission for advice and approved by the Minister for the Environment before they take effect;

13.1.3 where reasonable and practicable, monitor supply patterns for signs of non sustainability; and

13.1.4 facilitate the salvage of forest produce generated by management actions the primary purpose of which is not timber production, or natural events where salvage activities can contribute to rehabilitation and do not significantly increase the level of disturbance or the risk of environmental impacts to the forest area.

14.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 14 14.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 14 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan through the management of the production of honey and by providing information on the number of apiculture sites.


14.2.2. Rationale This KPI measures the number of registered apiary sites in relation to land categories in the area of the Forest Management Plan and provides information on the change in number of sites over time, particularly as a result of area management plans for conservation reserves that prescribe the removal of sites. From this information, management activities can be assessed and appropriate actions to better achieve the objective can be identified. 14.2.3. Background and context The Department of Conservation and Land Management manages beekeeper access to all Crown land (excluding Commonwealth land) through the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 and the Forest Management Regulations 1993. Registered apiary sites occur on all types of State managed land. At September 2004, there were 3046 current apiary site permits on all Crown land tenures throughout the State, including 1633 permits for land vested in the Conservation Commission. Some 75% of the honey resource in the State is located on land vested in the Conservation Commission. Of the 96 beekeepers registered to collect honey from these sites almost 80 of them operate about 1000 registered apiary sites in State forests and timber reserves. The Beekeeping Consultative Committee was created to facilitate discussion and consultation between the Department, industry groups and other Government agencies on issues that may affect the beekeeping industry. The Committee normally meets twice a year in May and November. The Beekeeping Consultative Committee provides industry input to DEC on beekeeping matters and consists of representatives from the WA Apiarists' Society, Wescobee Limited, Swan Settlers Limited, WA Farmers' Federation, WA Beekeepers Association, Pollination Association of WA as well as a member from the Department of Land Administration, Water Corporation, Pastoral Lands Board, and Pastoralists and Graziers Association. Ecological principles suggest that introduced honey-bees adversely affect native plant pollinators through competition for pollen and nectar resources. Research is being undertaken to quantify these effects. It is policy that existing apiary sites in nature reserves, national parks, and conservation parks are retained, except where their removal has been prescribed in an area management plan. The policy also places a moratorium on new site development that will affect those sites in State forest that are now proposed to become a conservation reserve. The number and distribution of apiary sites is based on land categories at the time of each reporting of the KPI. This will provide for the interpretation of any changes in the number of apiary sites over reporting periods. 14.2.4. Issues Data for the number of unregistered apiary sites on private land is unknown. There is no requirement for beekeepers to register sites on private land. 14.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Number of registered apiary sites in each Crown land category for the area of the Forest Management Plan.

No target, trends to be reported.




Required data Collection & storage method Custodians T

manathe numbe

he apiary site management database is used to store and

ge information including r and location of

registered apiary sites. Apiary Sites Officer to update database on an ongoing basis as further data of number and location of apiary sites is forthcoming.

Apiary Sites Officer, Parks and Visitor Services Division.

Number of registered apiary sites in the area of the Forest Management Plan by land category at the time of each reporting of the KPI.

Geographic Information Section maintains current land category information for Crown land at any point in time, as provided by Landgate.

Geographic Information Section.


Parameter to be measured

Calculation method

Change in number of apiary sites by land category within the area of the Forest Management Plan.

Overlay map of all registered apiary sites in the area of the Forest Management Plan over the map of current land categories at the time of each reporting of the KPI. Enumerate the registered apiary sites in each land category and the total number of apiary sites. . Change in the number of sites in each land category is to be recorded and trends are to be identified.


Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Number of registered apiary sites by current land category



1. A table showing the number and breakdown of apiary sites into current land categories in the area of the Forest Management Plan (see Table 1 below); and

2. Text interpreting any changes or trends and the reasons for the number and distribution of registered apiary sites in each land category.


Table 1: Number of apiary sites on each land category in the area of Forest Management Plan.

Number of sites in Forest Management Plan area

Land category

January 2004

January 2006

January 2008

January 2010

January 2012

State forest, timber reserve

Nature reserve

National park

Conservation park

CALM Act section 5(1)(g) & (h) reserve

Total for Forest Management Plan area

14.2.10. Responsibilities Apiary Sites Officer from Parks and Visitor Services Division is responsible for:

apiary site data collection and management;

apiary site data collation and analysis;

data presentation and analysis; and

draft text describing and interpreting trends in apiary site number and distribution. Geographic Information Section is responsible for:

management of land category information;

intersection of apiary site data with current land category information; and

providing the information on number of apiary sites in each land category to the Apiary Sites Officer.

Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating this information together with information from other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report. 14.2.11. Work Instructions

1. Apiary Sites Officer to provide apiary site information for Forest Management Plan area to Geographic Information Section and request intersection with current land category information on a biennial basis.

2. Geographic Information Section to provide the information on number of apiary sites in each land category to the Apiary Sites Officer.

3. Apiary Sites Officer to produce table showing number of apiary sites on each land category in the area of Forest Management Plan (see Table 1).

4. Apiary Sites Officer to interpret changes and trends between biennial reporting periods and over the period of the Plan.

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15. KPI 15 - Wildflowers and seed picking 15.1 Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to biological diversity is: The overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and, where applicable, enhance the productive capacity of the forest. (Forest Management Plan p32) Forest Management Plan extract (page 41): Key performance indicator 15 Wildflowers and seed picking. Performance measure The level of activity measured by picking endorsements and returns.

No target, trends to be reported. Performance target(s) Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to Conservation

Commission and to the Minister for the Environment. The Conservation Commission to evaluate the need for revision of management practices in the context of its assessment and auditing function, in consultation with the Department.

The objective in relation to other forest produce: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to manage the removal of forest produce, other than sawlogs and residue logs, in a manner that, so far as is practicable and sustainable, satisfies public demand for that produce: (Forest Management Plan p36) Most relevant Forest Management Plan Actions: 13.1 The Department will:

13.1.1 regulate the supply of forest produce, other than sawlogs, residue logs, and craftwood (‘other forest produce’) through the administration of licensing legislation;

13.1.2 maintain and, where appropriate, prepare guidelines for the management of other forest

produce that: are to be periodically reviewed, with public consultation, and in the case of new guidelines or revisions to guidelines, are to be submitted to the

Conservation Commission for advice and approved by the Minister for the Environment before they take effect;

13.1.3 where reasonable and practicable, monitor supply patterns for signs of non-sustainability;

13.1.4 facilitate the salvage of forest produce generated by management actions the primary

purpose of which is not timber production, or natural events where salvage activities can contribute to rehabilitation and do not significantly increase the level of disturbance or the risk of environmental impacts to the forest area.


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15.2 Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 15 15.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 15 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in seeking to sustain the productive capacity of the forest through monitoring the removal of wildflowers and seed. 15.2.2. Rationale This KPI is useful as it measures the change in the number of wildflower and seed picking licenses issued and picking returns in the area of the Forest Management Plan over time. This information will help in the sustainable allocation of wildflower and seed picking endorsements and the protection of forest values. 15.2.3. Background and Context All native flora is protected under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 and licenses are required to harvest protected flora on Crown land. General conditions are placed on harvesting through licenses and specific conditions are set for some species to ensure their sustainable harvest. Flora harvesting is monitored in the field by District staff and Wildlife Officers and by Nature Conservation Division through desktop analysis of picker returns. Certain species have specific management programs that entail more intensive control through measures including quotas. All Crown land in the plan area that is managed by the Department for flora harvesting is vested in the Conservation Commission. Pickers require three-monthly endorsements from the Department to collect flora on land vested in the Conservation Commission. This involves written permission for pickers to operate on lands specified under the CALM Act, or land on which DEC manages flora by agreement with the managing authority or landowner. These endorsements are provided by staff at DEC District Offices. Harvesting is not permitted in national parks, nature reserves and conservation parks or proposed conservation reserves unless endorsed by the Director Nature Conservation, as having direct conservation value to the land from which the flora was taken. The majority of harvesting will take place within State forest, timber reserves and forest conservation areas. Harvesting in informal reserves is considered on a case-by-case basis using a risk-based approach to manage the risk to target species conservation, and threat of dieback and other processes. 15.2.4. Issues Data stored in the Flora Industry Data Management System (FIDMS) is based on the returns from licenses issued to pickers on a yearly basis. It is currently not possible to use endorsements as a basis for reporting. The issue of endorsements through use of the FIDMS database is not used in all Districts in the Forest Management Plan area, and considerable work would be required to have this implemented consistently by Districts. Data entered into the FIDMS database from picking returns is only as accurate as the information provided by the licensees, and the interpretation of returns by the person entering data. DEC officers suggest that while licensees generally have a good understanding of licence requirements in the field,


73

picking returns are not always filled out accurately or consistently. The data serves only as an indicator of the level of activity of wildflower and seed picking. Picking return forms are not always returned by the required date. Some pickers do not submit returns at all, and due to lack of resources within DEC, these licensees are only picked up as missing returns if trying to renew a licence. This may result in incomplete data for reporting of this KPI. 15.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI are:

Entity Target Number of Commercial Purposes Licences for each grid square in the area encompassing the Forest Management Plan. Commercial Purposes Licence returns for each grid square in the area encompassing the Forest Management Plan. The 10 most heavily harvested species for both wildflowers and seed in the grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area. The list of wildflower / seed species with a greater than 30% change in harvested quantities between annual reporting periods.

No targets set, trends to be reported.


Required data Collection & storage method Data custodians A list showing the number of Commercial Purposes Licenses used in the grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area. Quantity of wildflowers cut by species in the grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area collated from licence returns.

Commenced: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011 Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch

Nature Protection Branch to collect and store data from picking returns in the Flora Industry Data Management System.

Nature Protection Branch.

Quantity of seed picked by species in the grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area collated from licence returns.


Parameter to be measured Calculation method Change in the level of activity of wildflower harvesting and seed collection in the grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area over reporting periods (calendar years) for the duration of the Forest Management Plan.

Calculate the total number of licenses used, and quantity of wildflowers and seed collected to establish the level of activity. Annual figures to be compared with data from previous years to establish trends.

Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division of 180

74


Required measurement Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Change in the total number of licenses used for the grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area. Change in the quantity of wildflowers picked in the grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area.

Annually (for a calendar year). Calculations to follow annual review of wildflower and seed collecting licences issued and picking returns (when returned, see issues section).

Change in the quantity of seed collected for the grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area.


Metric Presentation Number of Commercial Purposes Licenses for each grid square in the area encompassing the Forest Management Plan.

Data to be presented in a table (table 1) identifying each grid square and the number of licences used for current period.

Trend in Commercial Purposes Licenses for each grid square in the area encompassing the Forest Management Plan.

Data to be presented in a table (table 2) for identifying each grid square and the number of licences used for each reporting period.

Quantity of wildflowers collected Data to be presented in a table (table 3) with quantity of wildflowers harvested from picking returns (in number of stems or other unit) for grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area for annual reporting periods.

Quantity of seed collected. Data to be presented in a table (table 4) with quantity of seed collected from picking returns (kg) for grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area for annual reporting periods.

A list of top ten most heavily harvested wildflower species that are harvested in the grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area.

Data to be presented in a table (table 5) with data from the previous period and the current period. Text to describe and interpret changes and trends.


75


Metric Presentation A list of top ten most heavily harvested seed species that are harvested in the grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area.


A list of wildflower / seed species with a greater than 30% change in harvested quantities between annual reporting periods.


15.2.10. Responsibility Licensing Coordinator, Nature Protection Branch will be responsible for:

data collection and management; data collation and analysis; data presentation and analysis; and preparing draft text in consultation with the Species and Communities Branch Senior Botanist

and District staff, describing and interpreting changes and trends in wildflower and seed harvesting.

Policy and Practice Branch of Sustainable Forest Management Division will be responsible for collating this information into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for the auditing, reviewing and publication of its report.

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Table 1 Number of Commercial Purposes Licences used in grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan for the current reporting

period.

Grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area 1811 1812 1813 1814 1911 1912 1913 1914 2004 2011 2012 2013 2014 2102 2111 2112 2113 2114 2123 Total

Table 2 Number of Commercial Purposes Licences in grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan for annual reporting periods.

Grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area # Year

1811 1812 1813 1814 1911 1912 1913 1914 2004 2011 2012 2013 2014 2102 2111 2112 2113 2114 2123 Total 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Percentage change between previous and current period


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Table 3 Wildflower collection in grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan for current reporting period.

Grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area # Species / Product

1811 1812 1813 1814 1911 1912 1913 1914 2004 2011 2012 2013 2014 2102 2111 2112 2113 2114 2123 Total Stirlingia latifolia Stems

Grid total Table 4 Seed collection (kg) in grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan for current reporting period.

Grid squares encompassing the Forest Management Plan area # Species / Product

1811 1812 1813 1814 1911 1912 1913 1914 2004 2011 2012 2013 2014 2102 2111 2112 2113 2114 2123 Total Stirlingia latifolia Seed

Grid total

Table 5 Comparison of changes in wildflower collection (stems) for the top 10 species in the

area encompassing the Forest Management Plan relative to the last annual reporting period.

Species Species total

(Previous period) Species total (Current

period) Percentage Change

Stirlingia latifolia 913,900 587,369 - 35.7 % Banksia grandis 1924 2012 + 4.6 %

Table 6 Comparison of changes in seed collection (kg) for the top 10 species in the area

encompassing the Forest Management Plan relative to the last reporting period.

Species Amount Collected (Previous period)

Amount Collected (Current period)

Percentage Change

Stirlingia latifolia 0 0 0 Banksia grandis 6.44 13.9768 + 117%

Table 7 A list of wildflower / seed species with > 30% change in harvest in the area

encompassing the Forest Management Plan for annual reporting periods. Species Product Unit Percentage Change Comments Stirlingia latifolia Stems Single - 35.7 % Area available reduced by wildfire. Banksia grandis Seed Kg + 117% Based on small quantity change

does not warrant investigation.


16. KPI 16 - Risk to conservation life property and other forest values posed by wildfire

16.1 Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to ecosystem health and vitality is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain forest ecosystem health and vitality. (Forest Management Plan p43) Forest Management Plan extract (page 46) Key performance indicator 16

The risk to conservation, life, property and other forest values posed by wildfire.

Performance measure The area of forest by fuel age classification. Performance target(s) Target to be determined following the Environmental Protection

Authority’s review of fire management. Reporting Annually. Response to reporting The Department to high risk areas and incorporate into fuel

reduction planning for subsequent years. The revised performance target following the Environmental Protection Authority’s review of fire management has been determined to be ‘General conformance with the theoretical distribution of time since fire for the whole-of-forest and for each Landscape Conservation Unit’. The FMP objective in relation to fire is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the whole of forest and landscape scale for the purpose of seeking to use and respond to fire in a manner that:

optimises the maintenance of forest ecosystem health and vitality; promotes the conservation of biodiversity; controls adverse impacts of fire on the social, cultural and economic values of land

managed by the Department and adjoining land; and minimises the risk of smoke emanating from prescribed burns impacting on population

centres and other sensitive areas. (Forest Management Plan p43) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 17.1 The Department will:

17.1.1 maintain a competent fire management, suppression and response capability; 17.1.2 prepare and maintain a fire management plan and smoke management guidelines; 17.1.3 undertake an annual prescribed burning program in a manner that:

is in accordance with the fire management plan; is in accordance with the smoke management guidelines; has regard to the Goals for Understorey Structural Diversity referred to in Action

4.1; and considers any special vulnerability of fauna and flora known to exist in a

particular area to burning in that area; and 17.1.4 consult with stakeholders and interested community members in a manner that

seeks to develop community understanding of and support for, and enable constructive discussions and deliberations on, the planning and implementation of prescribed burning and other fire management programs.


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17.2 The Forest Products Commission will:

17.2.1 undertake an analysis of the risk from fire to its native timber production resources; and

17.2.2 provide to the Department funding sufficient to enable the Department to control the risk to acceptable levels, so far as is reasonable and practicable.

17.3 The Department and the Conservation Commission will:

17.3.1 participate in the proposed public review of fire management by the Environmental Protection Authority; and

17.3.2 incorporate the recommendations made in the review that are endorsed by the Minister for the Environment into the Department’s fire management policy, plan (see Action 17.1.2) and fire management guidelines.


17.4.1 undertake an analysis of the risk from fire to its plantation timber production resources;

17.4.2 undertake an analysis of the risk from fire emanating from its plantations moving into surrounding land; and

17.4.3 cooperate with the Department and other organisations in seeking to control the risks to acceptable levels, so far as is reasonable and practicable.

16.2 Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 16 16.2.1 Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 16 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets in relation to the management of fire by providing information on the temporal diversity of ‘time since fire’ within each Land Conservation Unit (LCU). 16.2.2 Rationale This KPI is useful in identifying the extent to which the observed frequency distribution of ‘time since fire’ conforms to a theoretical frequency distribution for each of the LCU’s located across the forest. The theoretical frequency distribution is based on the vital attributes of vegetation occurring within each LCU and is assumed to represent the optimal and sustainable distribution that will deliver diversity in understorey vegetation structure sufficient to meet the Goals for Understorey Vegetation Structure and therefore provide a level of diversity in functional habitats sufficient to provide the conservation of biodiversity. In achieving this goal the resulting fire history and the spatial distribution of fuel ages will provide mitigation of wildfire risk sufficient to protect life, property and other forest values from unacceptable impacts. 16.2.3 Background and context Fire has an impact on forest ecosystems. For example, fire can facilitate the regeneration of vegetation, the release of nutrients required for plant growth, the production of habitat niches such as tree hollows and woody ground habitat (logs) etc. Fire produces a diversity of post-fire seral stages in understorey vegetation across the landscape that provides a diversity of functional habitats for biota occurring in that landscape. The maintenance of this habitat diversity is essential to the persistence of biota at a landscape scale. However, the inadequate or excessive use of fire can limit the spatial and temporal diversity of these habitats and be detrimental to biodiversity conservation. Prolonged suppression of wildfire over large areas can result in the gradual build-up of fuel on the forest floor. This will increase the probability of large and intense fires, which are difficult, unsafe and costly to suppress and result in significant loss of economic and biological assets that take extended periods of time to recover. These fires also pose a significant threat to life and property


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values associated with the forest. In Mediterranean ecosystems such as the south-west of Western Australia, it is difficult to prevent fire for long periods over large areas. To attempt to do so may be detrimental to biodiversity conservation and the protection of the community. There are strongly held and often opposing views in the community. For example, that more prescribed burning is required to reduce the risk of wildfire and conversely that less and a different type of burning is required to protect biodiversity. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) undertook a review of fire management in the south west of WA and released its findings to the public in Review of the Fire Policies and Management Practices of the Department of Conservation and Land Management, EPA, Bulletin 1151, October 2004. The report indicated support for the existing approach to prescribed fire management:

“The EPA recognises that a fuel reduction programme is a key strategy used by CALM to reduce the extent and damage to biodiversity and other assets, which might otherwise be caused by wildfires. The value of a prescribed burning programme is not in reducing the number of wildfires, but rather their intensity, to assist in their suppression, and to reduce the damage they cause to biodiversity.”

However the EPA identified room for improvement and made a recommendation to increase the significance of biodiversity outcomes in the fire planning models and procedures used by the department:

“The EPA considers that CALM has developed and implemented advanced fire management practices which are rated highly both nationally and internationally. There is, however, room for improvement in some aspects.

The EPA recommends that, in planning the annual burn programme, assessment of fire requirements for biodiversity outcomes be given first consideration, and that any shortcomings from this approach for the other objectives be taken into account in a second round process to achieve all priority objectives.”

This recommendation has been achieved and the planning approach used to develop the prescribed fire program known as the Master Burn Plan is now focussed on achieving biodiversity conservation outcomes in LCU across the forest. This planned fire program is modified, if necessary, to achieve the other land management and strategic protection outcomes required of fire management. LCUs have been defined across the forests of the south-west. The boundaries were determined after considering climate, vegetation and geomorphology and are based on amalgamation of the 315 vegetation complexes developed by Mattiske and Havel (1998). Some land within the scope of the FMP is not covered by the LCUs developed by Mattiske and Havel, in particular the Swan Coastal Plain. For these areas the land system classification developed under the System Six study that are also based on vegetation and geomorphology, has been used to delimit LCU boundaries. LCUs provide fire management planning units at a landscape scale that are sympathetic to how fire behaves in these landscapes and how the biota and ecosystems within the units interact with fire. Managing fire to achieve biodiversity conservation outcomes at the LCU scale, based on the vital attributes of vegetation within each LCU, will ensure that the habitat diversity required to conserve biodiversity at the whole of forest scale can also be achieved and that the resulting spatial fuel age distribution is sufficient to mitigate the risk of wildfire to life, property and forest values. 16.2.4 The entities to be measured for the KPI Entity Target Frequency distribution of fuel age for the entire forest

Observed frequency distribution for fuel age will approximate the theoretical distribution for the entire forest


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Entity Target Frequency distribution of fuel age for each LCU

Observed frequency distribution for fuel age will approximate the theoretical distribution for each LCU

16.2.5 Required data Required data Collection & storage method Custodians

Fire Management Services to collect and store ‘time since fire’ data for areas affected by wildfire and areas treated with prescribed fire for the area of Forest Management Plan.

Fire Management Services

‘Time since fire’ data

Fire Management Services to collect and store ‘time since fire’ data for areas affected by wildfire and areas treated with prescribed fire for the area of each LCU.

Fire Management Services

16.2.6 Calculation method Parameter to be measured

Calculation method

The area in each fuel age class for area of Forest Management Plan as at annual reporting periods.

Overlay annual updates of ‘time since fire’ data with area of Forest Management Plan to calculate area by fuel age classification for each reporting period. Compare updated data with previous data to establish change over reporting periods. Compare updated data with the theoretical fuel age frequency distribution to determine the degree of conformity.

The area in each fuel age class for each LCU as at annual reporting periods.

Overlay annual updates of ‘time since fire’ data for the area of each LCU to calculate area by fuel age distribution for each LCU. Compare updated data with the theoretical fuel age frequency distribution for each LCU to determine the degree of conformity.

16.2.7 Measurement, calculation and reporting frequency Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Area of land by fuel age class

Annually at the end of December Annually following updates to time since fire data.

16.2.8 Data presentation Metric Presentation

Histogram graph showing proportion of areas according to fuel age classes for the area of the Forest Management Plan for annual reporting periods with the theoretical frequency distribution curve overlayed. Graph to indicate the proportion of each fuel age within reserved and production forest (Figure 1).

Proportion of land by fuel age class expressed as a percentage of the area of the whole forest.

Text to explain graphs and incorporate any other relevant data available that provides further information on any significant variance from the theoretical frequency distribution and the risk to conservation, life, property and other forest values posed by wildfire.

Area of land by fuel age class expressed as a percentage of the area of each LCU

Histogram graph showing frequency distribution of fuel age classes for each LCU for annual reporting periods with the theoretical frequency distribution curve overlayed. Graph to indicate the proportion of each fuel age within reserved and production forest (Figure 2).


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Figure 1: Illustration of the fuel age frequency distribution and the desired theoretical frequency distribution for all DEC-managed land in the Forest Management Plan. Note - Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate data presentation

Figure 2: Illustration of the frequency distribution of fuel age classes for an individual LCU indicating the desired theoretical frequency distribution and the proportion of State forest and formal conservation reserve in each age class.


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16.2.9 Responsibility Fire Management Services is responsible for: 1. collection and management of time since fire data; 2. collation and analysis of data; 3. data presentation and analysis; and 4. draft text describing and interpreting trends for key performance indicator and relevant

indicators. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating this information together with information from other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report.

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17. KPI 17 - Severity status of weeds and pests as determined by subjective survey

17.1 Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to ecosystem health and vitality is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain forest ecosystem health and vitality. Forest Management Plan extract (page 46). Key performance indicator 17 The severity status of weeds and pests as determined by

subjective survey. Performance measure List of important weeds and pests and their severity status that

tracks movements of species between severity categories. Performance target(s) No weed or pest to increase in severity status as a result of

management actions. Reporting Every five years. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to the


The objective in relation to weeds, pests and diseases is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the operational scale for the purpose of seeking to (Forest Management Plan p 44): minimise, as far as is reasonable and practicable, the impact on the health and vitality of forest

ecosystems of pathogens and their associated diseases; protect from infestation those areas currently free from P. cinnamomi; and control weeds and pests in forest ecosystems. Most relevant Forest Management Plan Actions: 18.4 The Department will:

18.4.1 maintain records of weeds, pests and diseases that are known to have a significant impact on the health and vitality of forest ecosystems;

18.4.2 develop and implement weed, pest and disease control programs; 18.4.3 eradicate, wherever reasonable and practicable, localised infestations of weeds,

pests or diseases before they are securely established; 18.4.4 encourage the coordinated involvement of industry, the community and other land

managers in addressing weeds, pests and diseases; and 18.4.5 investigate, and where reasonable and practicable take action to control the

identified cause of, any significant decline in the health and vitality of forest ecosystems.

18.5 The Forest Products Commission will, so far as is reasonable and practicable, maintain

their nurseries free from weeds, pests and pathogens that could be transported into the forest with planting stock.



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18.6.1 monitor for the presence of significant weeds, pests and diseases in plantations, and where reasonable and practicable undertake control measures;

18.6.2 develop and implement weed, pest and disease control programs for identified weeds, pests and diseases;

18.6.3 where there is an identified risk that plantation operations may result in transport of Phytophthora cinnamomi, conduct its operations having regard to the policy and in accordance with the Guidelines referred to in Action 18.2; and

18.6.4 take reasonable and practicable measures to control the spread of plantation species into adjacent native vegetation.

17.2 Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 17 17.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 17 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan 2004-2013 through tracking the severity status of weeds and pests so that management activities can be assessed and appropriate actions to better achieve the objective can be identified. 17.2.2. Background and context Weed invasion is a major threat to natural ecosystems and the native species within them. Weeds threaten biological diversity by disrupting ecosystem processes and functions. The impacts of weeds on ecosystems include: resource competition; prevention of seedling recruitment; altered morphological processes, hydrological cycles and fire regimes; and changes in soil nutrient status, abundance and diversity of native fauna, and the genetics of native flora. Most Western Australian ecosystems are vulnerable to some extent to invasion by plant species and this is most evident where the natural system is disturbed and there is a source of weeds, such as areas close to farmland or a plantation of trees that will readily spread. The Department’s Draft Policy Statement ‘Environmental Weed Management’ guides the approach and priority setting for the control of environmental weeds in State forest and timber reserves and is consistent with the objectives of the State Weed Plan. The approach is to define the problem in terms of impacts on environmental values, develop a management plan to reduce impacts, implement the plan and monitor results. The starting point is information on weed occurrence and the threats they pose. Similarly, the invasion of ecosystems by pest animals can pose a major threat to the native species within them, and has been a major contributing factor to many species extinctions and increase in vulnerability status in Western Australia. The Department is committed to major pest animal control programmes including “Western Shield” targeted to the European Red fox and feral cat, control of goats and camels in the rangelands and control of feral pigs in forests. This KPI may help to define the problem in terms of impacts on environmental values, and encourage the development and implementation of management plans to reduce impacts, and monitor results. 17.2.3. Rationale This KPI is essential for monitoring the severity status of weeds and pests so that high-risk areas can be identified and actions can be implemented to reduce future threat to the health and vitality of natural ecosystems. 17.2.4. Issues Currently there is no coordinating mechanism for the monitoring and control of weeds across DEC-managed lands. Weed control programs are currently developed on a local scale based on the


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judgment and knowledge of district staff. There is no consistent method for data storage across districts. Recording the existence, distribution and severity of weeds relies on staff to fill out weed identification forms if infestations are spotted. Not all districts use a priority rating system to identify the severity status of weeds. Weeds targeted in any operational weed control programs reflect the priority weeds for each district. In 2008, the Department commenced a weed risk management project that will prioritise weeds within each of the 26 bioregions defined by the Interim Biogeographical Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA). This project will involve the prioritisation of weed species through the assessment of their invasiveness, impacts, potential and current distribution and feasibility of control. It will also investigate the use of an asset protection based approach for the prioritisation of established weeds. This approach looks at prioritisation of management actions aimed at protection of environmental assets from the threat posed by established weeds within each bioregion. This is a long-term project reliant on the availability of Regional and District staff for completion. Monitoring the scale and distribution of potential and existing environmental weeds from wholesale and retail outlets does not currently occur due to lack of resources. Quantitative data is often presented with no reference to land tenure, forest use or level of disturbance. This is problematic, as weed management will differ in the context of State forest, timber reserves, nature reserve, conservation parks and national parks. Data from private lands is difficult to gather and weed infestations on private land can be beyond department control. Even though the KPI requires reporting every 5 years, it is intended to conduct the initial survey in 2009, to repeat it in 2 years and again in 5 years to record change over time. 17.2.5. Entities to be measured for the KPI are:

Entity Target Weed severity status No species will move to a higher severity status as a

result of management activities or lack of appropriate management activities.

Pest severity status No species will move to a higher severity status as a result of management activities or lack of appropriate management activities.

17.2.6. Required data:

Required data Collection & storage method Data Custodians District officers to collect data by subjective survey. Nature Conservation Division and districts to store data sets.

District Offices and Environmental Management Branch, Nature Conservation Division.

A list showing important weeds and severity status for each district for the area covered by the Forest Management Plan for each reporting period.

District officers to collect data by subjective survey. Nature Conservation Division and districts to store data sets.

District Offices and Environmental Management Branch, Nature Conservation Division.

A list showing important pests and severity status for each district for the area covered by the Forest Management Plan for each reporting period.


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17.2.7. Calculation method: Parameter of measurement Calculation method Change in severity status of weeds

Weed species to be given a severity status rating for each land category and in the case of state forest and timber reserves a separate reading for native forest and plantations in each district within the area of the Forest Management Plan. Updated lists to be compared on a five yearly basis by data custodians to identify number of weeds species that have changed severity status.

Change in severity status of pests

Pest species to be given a severity status rating for each land category and in the case of state forest and timber reserves a separate reading for native forest and plantations in each district within the area of the Forest Management Plan. Updated lists to be compared on a five yearly basis by data custodians to identify number of pest species that have changed severity status.

17.2.8. Measurement, calculation and reporting frequency:

Required measurement Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Number of weeds that have changed severity status including current and previous status.

Every five years Calculations to follow five-yearly review of data by Nature Conservation Division

Number of pests that have changed severity status including current and previous status.

Every five years Calculations to follow five-yearly review of data by Nature Conservation Division

17.2.9. Data presentation:

Metric Presentation The severity status of weeds and pests registered in each district

a) Each district will keep a list of weeds and severity status. This information to be presented in a table showing number of weeds in each severity category according to tenure.

b) Text will be used to explain changes in severity status and the reasons for these changes.

Table 1: Severity status of weeds and pests in the area covered by the Forest Management Plan

as at December 2004 Severity Status December 2004

State Forest & Timber reserves

Weed / Pest Species

Native forest Plantation

Nature reserve Conservation park

National park CALM Act section 5(1)(g)

& (h) reserves.

Blackberry* 3 3 1 1 3 1 Arum Lily* 2 5 0 0 2 2 Pig* 2 2 0 0 2 0

*Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate data presentation


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Table 2: Severity status of weeds and pests in the area covered by the Forest Management Plan as at December 2009

Severity Status December 2009 State Forest &

Timber reserves Weed / Pest

Species


Nature reserve Conservation park

National park CALM Act section 5(1)(g)

& (h) reserves.

Blackberry* 3 2 1 1 3 1 Arum Lily* 2 5 0 0 2 2 Pig* 2 2 1 0 2 1

*Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate data presentation The tables will be compared and a list of species that have changed in severity will be developed on a regional basis and subsequently aggregated for the FMP area, and where appropriate further investigation and reporting of severity by tenure will be carried out. The tables will be supported by discussion of the issues surrounding the changes in status with particular attention on areas where management by the Department has affected the status of the species in a particular area. 17.2.10. Responsibilities: District staff will be responsible for:

collection and assessment of weeds and pest species and their severity status; and

input of data into the weeds and pest species severity survey spreadsheet. Environmental Management Branch, Nature Conservation Division will be responsible for:

collation of the weeds and pest species severity survey spreadsheet;

management of weeds and pest species severity survey spreadsheet information;


preparing lists to describe the results. Forest Policy and Practice Branch of Sustainable Forest Management Division will be responsible for collating information for this KPI together with other KPI’s into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for auditing, reviewing and the publication of its report. 17.2.11. Work instructions: Rating the severity of weeds and pests and their impact on forest values will be done by district officers and will be based on their knowledge and experience in the area. The criterion for assessing the severity of occurrence of a weed or pest is presented below.


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Severity impact score Description #

0 No data, or not known to be present. 1 Reported present but not problematic. 2 Occurs but restricted distribution, has little impact. 3 Restricted distribution and adverse impact. 4 Widespread distribution but having minimal impacts. 5 Widespread distribution and having adverse impacts locally. 6 Very widespread and having widespread adverse impact.

# Adapted from the severity impact scores used in Appendix D - State of the Forests 2008 (Montreal Process Implementation Group for Australia (2008). Australia’s State of the Forests Report 2008. Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra. Author: Montreal Process Implementation Group for Australia

Table 1: Survey of severity impact status of weed and pest occurrence in the area covered by the Forest Management Plan by district

DISTRICT NAME:- DATE: SEVERITY IMPACT SCORE BY TENURE CATEGORY State Forest & Timber reserves

Nature reserve

SPECIES COMMON NAMES LISTING


Conservation park

National park Section 5(1) (g) & (h) reserves.

COMMENTS

Aquatic Weeds Alternanthera philoxeroides Alligator Weed P1, P2 Sagittaria montevidensis Arrowhead P1, P2 Elodea canadensis Canadian Pond Weed P1, P2 Cabomba caroliniana Fanwort, Green Cabomba P1,P2 Hydrocotyle ranunculoides Hydrocotyle P1, P2 Egeria densa Leafy Elodea P1, P2 Myriophyllum aquaticum Parrots Feather P1, P2 Sagittaria platyphylla Sagittaria P1 Salvinia molesta Salvinia P1, P2 Hydrocotyle verticillata Shield Pennywort P1, P2 Eichhornia crassipes Water Hyacinth P1, P2 Pistia stratiotes Water Lettuce P1, P2 Terrestrial Weeds Acacia spp. All species not native to Australia P1, P2 Acaena novae-zelandiae Bidgee Widgee Not listed Asparagus asparagoides Bridal Creeper P1 Carthamus lanatus Saffron Thistle P1, P3, P4 Chasmanthe floribunda African Corn-flag Not listed Chrysanthemoides monilifera Boneseed or Bitou Bush P1, P2 Cortaderia selloana Pampas Grass Prohibited Datura leichhardtii Native Thorn Apple P1, P3, P4 Dipogon lignosus Dolichos Pea Not listed Echium plantagineum Patersons Curse P1, P3, P4 Ehrharta calycina Perennial Veldgrass P1, P2 Emex australis Doublegee P1, P3, P4,

P5

Eragrostis curvula African Lovegrass Prohibited Gomphocarpus fruticosus Narrow Cottonbush P1, P3, P4 Homeria breyniana Cape Tulip P1, P3, P4 Homeria flaccida One-leaf Cape Tulip P1, P3, P4 Homeria miniata Two-leaf Cape Tulip P1, P3, P4 Hypericum perforatum St John’s Wort P1, P2 Lantana camara Lantana P1 Leptospermum laevigatum Victorian Tea Tree Not listed Lycium ferocissimum African box-thorn Prohibited Onopordum acaulon Stemless Thistle P1, P2, P3,

P4

Pinus pinaster Pinaster Pine Not listed Pinus radiata Radiata Pine Unassigned Rubus fruticosus / R. laudatus Blackberry P1, P2, P4 Salix babylonica* Weeping Willow Not listed Salix cinerea* Grey Sallow. P1 Salix daphnoides* Daphne Willow, Violet Willow P1 Salix exigua* Narrowleaf Willow P1 Salix. × reichardtii* Pussy Willow Not listed Salix x sepulcralis* Ornamental Willow P1 Salix triandra* Almond-leaved Willow Prohibited Silybum marianum Variegated Thistle P1, P2, P3,

P4

Solanum linnaeanum Apple of Sodom P1, P2, P3, P4


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SEVERITY IMPACT SCORE BY TENURE CATEGORY State Forest & Timber reserves

SPECIES COMMON NAMES LISTING COMMENTS


Nature reserve

Conservation park

National park Section 5(1) (g) & (h) reserves.

Trachyandra divaricata South African Onion Weed Not listed Typha orientalis Bullrush Not listed Ulex europaeus Gorse P1, P2, P3 Watsonia bulbillifera / W. meriana Watsonia Prohibited Xanthium occidentale Noogoora Burr P1, P2, P4 Zantedeschia aethiopica Arum Lily P1, P4 Invasive Species Bufo marinus Cane Toad A1, A2, A3 Canis familarius dingo Dingo / Wild Dog A5, A7 Capra hircus Feral Goat A4, A5, A6 Cervus elaphus Red Deer A4, A5, A6 Cervus timorensis Rusa Deer A4, A5, A6 Dama dama Fallow Deer A4, A5, A6 Felis catus Cat No listed Oryctolagus cuniculus Rabbits A1, A3, A5 Sus scrofa Feral Pig A4, A5, A6 Vulpes vulpes Fox A5 Carduelis chloris / C. sinica / C. spinoides

Greenfinch A1, A2, A3

Passer domesticus / P. montanus Sparrow A1, A2, A3 Sturnus vulgaris Starling A1, A2, A3 Trichoglossus haematodus Rainbow Lorikeet A2, A5 Turdus merula English Blackbird A1, A2, A3 Chortoicetes terminifera Plague Locust A5 Hylotrupes bajulus European House Borer A2, A3 Vespula germanica European Wasp A1, A2, A3

Listing categories under the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976 P1 Prohibits movement of plants or their seeds within the State. This prohibits the movement of contaminated machinery and

produce including livestock and fodder: P2 Eradicate infestation to destroy and prevent propagation each year until no plants remain. The infested area must be

managed in such a way that prevents the spread of seed or plant parts on or in livestock, fodder, grain, vehicles and/or machinery:

P3 Control infestation in such a way that prevents the spread of seed or plant parts within and from the property on or in livestock, fodder, grain, vehicles and/or machinery. Treat to destroy and prevent seed set all plants:

P4 Prevent the spread of infestation from the property on or in livestock, fodder, grain, vehicles and/or machinery. Treat to destroy and prevent seed set on all plants:

P5 Infestations on public lands must be controlled.

Listing categories under the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976 A1 Entry prohibited. A2 Subject to eradication in the wild. A3 Keeping prohibited. A4 Entry subject to Department of Agriculture permits and/or conditions. A5 Numbers will be reduced / controlled. A6 Keeping subject to Department of Agriculture permits and/or conditions. A7 A management programme for each species outlines the area and conditions under which controls may be

applied. Programmes are for the whole of the State or as indicated for each species.

Severity impact score Description #

0 No data, or not known to be present. 1 Reported present but not problematic. 2 Occurs but restricted distribution, has little impact. 3 Restricted distribution and adverse impact. 4 Widespread distribution but having minimal impacts. 5 Widespread distribution and having adverse impacts locally. 6 Very widespread and having widespread adverse impact.

18. KPI 18 - Effectiveness of dieback hygiene Not yet completed.


19. KPI 19 - Annual flow weighted mean salinity and trend for streams in fully forested catchment

19.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to soil and water is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to protect soil and water resources on land to which the plan applies. Forest Management Plan extract (page 50) Key performance indicator 19 The annual flow weighted mean salinity and the trend for streams

in fully forested catchments. Performance measure The annual flow weighted mean salinity and the trends for

gauging stations on the following rivers: Mitchell River (603005) Weld River (606002), (606195) Carey Brook (608002) Barlee Brook (608151) Harvey River (613002) Tallanalla Creek (613005) Falls Brook (613008) South Dandalup (614007) Little Dandalup (614017) Wilson Brook (614021)

Performance target Salinity trends to be neutral. Reporting Every five years subject to information being provided by the

Department of Water. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to the


The objective in relation to water is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the operational scale for the purpose of seeking to protect the ecological integrity and quality of streams, wetlands and their associated vegetation… Most relevant FMP Actions: 21.1 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will conduct their operations:

21.1.1 in a manner that has regard to the provisions for stream zones in Appendix 3 where

the operation occurs prior to the approval of the Guidelines referred to in the following paragraph; and

21.1.2 in accordance with the Guidelines for the Management of Informal Reserves

referred to in Action 3.1.2 and the Soil and Water Conservation Guidelines referred to in Action 20.1.2.


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19.2 Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 19 19.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 19 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan 2004-2013 (FMP) in maintaining the low concentration of salinity in streams of forest catchments. 19.2.2. Rationale This KPI is important for monitoring the salinity of streamflow from forested catchments that supply a large portion of water supply to Perth and the south west. The ecological integrity of forested streams is high whereas most streams in the South West Land Division are in a poor ecological condition as a result of salinisation because of clearing for agriculture. Maintaining the ecological condition of the remaining high quality streams is therefore of high importance. This KPI will provide the Department with the necessary information so that management activities can be assessed and appropriate actions to better achieve the objective can be identified. 19.2.3. Background and context Degradation of surface water quality by salinity is a risk for aquatic ecosystems and for human use. The risk is higher in the eastern parts of the FMP area where salt storage is moderate to high. Stream salinity occurs when a saline water table rises to intersect the ground surface and discharges salt into streams. The major cause of unnaturally high groundwater level is reduced water use by transpiration when native perennial vegetation is cleared and replaced with annual agricultural crops. Where evapotranspiration levels are restored quickly by regenerating native vegetation, the risk of increasing stream salinity is low (Borg et al. 1988). The FMP adopts a number of strategies to manage this low risk of increasing stream salinity associated with timber harvesting activities. These strategies include: informal reserves around all permanent and intermittent streams; limits to the intensity of timber harvesting; limits on the extent of timber harvesting on a catchment by catchment basis; and identification of high salt risk catchments where further precautions are applied to timber harvesting activities. In recent years, the risk of forest management activities causing increased stream salinity has reduced due to the effects of climate change (reduced rainfall). The decreased risk is due to declining groundwater levels and disconnection between groundwater and streams in areas that were historically at greater risk. 19.2.4. Issues Reporting on this KPI will depend on the ongoing monitoring of stream gauging stations by the Department of Water. Monitoring at a number of gauging stations within the area of the Forest Management Plan reduced in the ‘90s and ‘00s but has improved in recent years with the re-opening of a number of stations. Reporting for this KPI will depend on data being available within the Department of Water and may not match the list of streams identified in the KPI performance measure from the extract of the FMP shown above. 19.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI are:

Entity Target

Trend in flow-weighted annual stream salinity

Salinity trends to be neutral


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Required data Collection & storage method CustodiansFlow-weighted annual stream salinity from selected gauging stations in streams within forested catchments distributed throughout the area of the Forest Management Plan.

Stream water level measured continuously using a V-notch weir, stilling basin, float and pulley, and data recorder. Water level converted to discharge using a rating curve. Stream electrical conductivity (EC) measured continuously immediately upstream from the stilling basin. The relationship between stream Total Dissolved Solids (TDS mg/L) and electrical conductivity (mS m-1) derived from water samples collected periodically. Flow-weighted annual stream salinity calculated as: S=(∑SiQi)/∑Qi where Qi is the instantaneous streamflow volume and Si is the instantaneous TDS (Bari and Boyd 1993; Mayer et al 2005).

Department of Water and Water Corporation.

Annual stream salinity may be derived from continuous data or discrete data that is sufficient to establish a long term trend.

The gauging stations used to assess this KPI will be a sub-set of the stations used for KPI 22 which are to be primarily selected using the following catchment criteria: Large enough to represent broad landscape scale management activities (e.g. greater than

10 km2); Distributed across FMP area and rainfall zones; Available salinity and flow records are sufficient to determine trends; Rainfall records in or adjacent to the catchment are available; The custodian intends to continue operating the gauging stations into the future; Less than 5% cleared (ideally less than 3%); Predominantly within FMP tenure (e.g. > 95%); Where mining has occurred in a catchment, the mined area has been rehabilitated, the

regenerated vegetation is established, and the catchment is representative of the northern jarrah forest within the FMP area.

As there are very few catchments that meet all of the criteria above, some stations that fall short of some of the criteria may be used to supplement the analysis to increase the number and geographical coverage of sites. These supplementary stations must still be ≤5% cleared and have sufficient data to establish long term trends. 19.2.7. Calculation method

Entity to be measured Calculation method Salinity level See 19.2.6 above Salinity trends Interpretation of trends in mean annual stream salinity over at least

five year periods (longer where data exists). 19.2.8. Measurement, calculation and reporting frequency

Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Salinity level in (mg/L) Streams where mean salinity levels are:

a) increasing b) steady c) decreasing

Streamflow and stream electrical conductivity (EC) is measured continuously and measurements of stream salinity are taken periodically from gauging stations. The ‘water year’ to be used for streamflow analysis will be April-March.

Streamflow and stream salinity is summarised on an annual basis. These summaries and longer-term historical trends will be analysed and interpreted on a five yearly basis to facilitate reporting on the KPI, with the first report due in 2009.


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19.2.9. Presentation of the entities

Metric Presentation Salinity level (mg/L) Trends in streams salinity levels over the previous five years:


Data will be presented as graph with salinity level, salinity trends and salinity status for each gauging station over the five-year reporting period (or longer where possible). Text will be included to describe trends and provide an interpretation for trends.

19.2.10 Responsibility The Department of Water is responsible for:

data collation and analysis from selected gauging stations;

presentation of the data; and

interpretation of data and description of trends (in conjunction with DEC’s Forest Policy and Practices Branch of the Sustainable Forest Management Division and Water Corporation).

The Water Corporation is responsible for:

data collection and management from selected gauging stations; and

contributing to the Department of Water’s interpretation of data and description of trends. DEC’s Forest Policy and Practices Branch of the Sustainable Forest Management Division is responsible for:

provision of data on forest status and historical management activities within the catchments to support data analysis;

contributing to the Department of Water’s interpretation of data and description of trends; and

preparing a report on this KPI and collating this information together with information from other KPI’s into a report to the Conservation Commission and where necessary the Minister for Environment.

The Conservation Commission is responsible for the auditing, reviewing and publication of its report. Reference Bari, M.A. and Boyd, D.W. (1993). Streamflow and salinity response to logging and regeneration in the southern forest of Western Australia. Water Authority of Western Australia Report No. WS116 Mayer, X.M., Ruprecht, J.K. and Bari, M.A. (2005). Stream salinity status and trends in south-west Western Australia, Department of Environment, Salinity and Land Use Impacts Series, Report No. 38.

20. KPI 20 - Percentage of water bodies (e.g. stream kilometres, lake hectares) with significant variance of biodiversity from the historic range of variability

20.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to soil and water is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to protect soil and water resources on land to which the plan applies. (Forest Management Plan p48) Forest Management Plan extract (page 50) Key performance indicator 20 Percentage of water bodies (e.g. stream kilometres, lake

hectares) with significant variance of biodiversity from the historic range of variability.

Performance measure The diversity of aquatic macro-invertebrate fauna at a selected number of monitoring sites.

Performance target(s) No sites with fauna significantly different from the reference condition.

Reporting Every five years. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to the


The objective in relation to water is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the operational scale for the purpose of seeking to protect the ecological integrity and quality of streams, wetlands and their associated vegetation, and increase the flow of water to surface and groundwater reservoirs (Forest Management Plan p49) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 21.1 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will conduct their operations:

21.1.1 in a manner that has regard to the provisions for stream zones in Appendix 3 where the operation occurs prior to the approval of the Guidelines referred to in the following paragraph; and

21.1.2 in accordance with the Guidelines for the Management of Informal Reserves referred to in Action 3.1.2 and the Soil and Water Conservation Guidelines referred to in Action 20.1.2.

21.2 The Department will review the extent and condition of public access ways leading to public

water catchment areas, with a view to considering whether the number of access ways ought to be reduced or their condition improved.

21.3 The Department and the Forest Products Commission, in consultation with the

Conservation Commission, will evaluate with the Water Corporation and the Water and Rivers Commission any proposal seeking to employ silvicultural treatments to increase the flow of water to surface and groundwater reservoirs.


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21.4 The Department:

21.4.1 will provide advice and assistance to bodies seeking access to the potential sub-surface aquifers and surface reservoirs located on land to which the plan applies;

21.4.2 will facilitate access to land to which the plan applies for the purposes of water extraction and the development of associated infrastructure for public water supply purposes where this is consistent with the CALM Act;

21.4.3 will take and use water sustainably from land to which the plan applies; 21.4.4 may issue permits, after consultation with the Conservation Commission, for the

sustainable taking of water from land to which the plan applies; and 21.4.5 will assist the Conservation Commission to develop a policy to provide guidance

when proposals to take water from land to which the plan applies are considered.

21.5 (Plantations): The Forest Products Commission will: 21.5.1 conduct its plantation operations in a manner that is in accordance with guidelines

for water protection in the Code of Practice for Timber Plantations and the relevant plantation manual, which is revised in consultation with the Department by 31 December 2005;

21.5.2 consult with the Water and Rivers Commission prior to undertaking plantation operations in a public water catchment area; and

21.5.3 evaluate with the Department, the Water Corporation and the Water and Rivers Commission any proposal seeking to employ silvicultural treatment to increase the flow of water to surface and groundwater reservoirs.

20.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 20 20.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 20 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets in regard to protecting the ecological integrity and quality of streams. 20.2.2. Rationale Monitoring the response of animals to their aquatic environment provides a useful measure of the health of streams. This measure is important in providing information on the ecological condition of streams so that potential environmental impacts such as salinity and turbidity can be monitored and if necessary better managed. 20.2.3. Background and context Biomonitoring assesses the response of plants and animals to any change in their environment. Biomonitoring is widely regarded as a better and more direct indicator of the health of a river or stream than chemical measurements. In 1994 the Commonwealth Government funded CALM to set up a biomonitoring program for rivers and streams in Western Australia as part of AUSRIVAS (Australian Rivers Assessment Scheme). The program was run by the Department and assisted by some of the State’s universities. The program was set up in three stages. Stage 1 (sample collection) involved collecting samples of macro-invertebrate communities from rivers and streams across Western Australia. Stage 2 (computer modelling) involved the development of models using the samples collected. Environmental descriptors such as geographical position, seasonality of flow, annual discharge and the position of the monitoring site along the stream were used to determine the environmental characteristics of sites. The computer models were developed using macro-invertebrate communities with similar environmental characteristics to create models for three habitat zones:


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channel habitat, streambed habitat and macrophyte habitat. This modelling allows for the prediction of expected macro-invertebrate numbers (reference condition). Stage 3 (model validation) involved an assessment of the validity of the ecological rating provided by the biomonitoring models. The accuracy assessment provided a percentage error rate for the biomonitoring models from the results of a number of tested sites. The percentage error rate was low (<10%) for pristine or minimally disturbed river and stream sites and higher for disturbed sites. The measurements for this KPI is based on the development of the models for pristine streams that will provide a comparative benchmark on which to judge the degree of disturbance in streams subject to monitoring under this KPI. 20.2.4. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Aquatic macro-invertebrate diversity.

No sites with fauna significantly different from the reference condition.


Required data Collection & storage method Custodians List of monitoring sites for measuring aquatic macro- invertebrate diversity.

List to be selected from: Science Division a) sites subject to timber harvesting

and other disturbances in their catchments; and

b) sites that fall within the plan area. Science Division Reference condition for

selected monitoring sites. The reference condition is the expected condition of a river or stream according to bio-monitoring models developed by the Department (see background section)

Aquatic macro-invertebrates collected from selected monitoring sites.

Science Division to conduct assessment of sites prior to mid-term and final reporting and record aquatic macro-invertebrates collected.

Science Division


Entity to be measured Calculation method Aquatic macro- invertebrates observed and expected (O/E score)

O/E score: Observed macro-invertebrates score divided by expected macro-invertebrates based on pristine stream condition for each monitoring site where the expected macro-invertebrate score is the reference condition.

Ecological rating An ecological rating of undisturbed, marginally disturbed, or disturbed is assigned to each monitoring site on the basis of the O/E score.


Required metric Measurement frequency


Aquatic macro- invertebrates O/E score

Annual for selected sites

Ecological rating

Five-yearly


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Metric Presentation Aquatic macro- invertebrates O/E score and ecological rating

Data is presented in a table (table 1) showing O/E score for macro-invertebrates based on pristine stream condition for each monitoring site and ecological rating with text to describe trends and provide analysis for sites where there is a significant difference from the reference condition.

Table 1: Aquatic macro-invertebrates observed over expected score (O/E) and ecological

rating at selected monitoring sites based on pristine streams within the area of the Forest Management Plan.

Observed divided by expected score based on pristine stream condition

Ecological rating (undisturbed, marginally disturbed or disturbed)

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6

Site 7 Site 8 Site 9 Site 10

20.2.9. Responsibility Science Division is responsible for:

data collection and management from selected monitoring sites;



interpretation of data and text to explain trends. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating information for this KPI together with other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report. 20.2.10. Further reading Halse, S.A., D.J. Cale, E.J. Jasinska, and R.J. Shiel (2002). Monitoring change in aquatic invertebrate biodiversity: sample size, faunal elements and analytical methods. Aquatic Ecology 36: 395-410. Smith, M.J., W.R. Kay, D.H.D. Edward, P.J. Papas, K.St.J. Richardson, J.C. Simpson, A.M. Pinder, D.J. Cale, P.H.J. Horwitz, J.A. Davis, F.H. Yung, R.H. Norris, and S.A. Halse (1999). AusRivAS: using macroinvertebrates to assess ecological condition of rivers in Western Australia. Freshwater Biology 41: 269-282. Smith, M., W. Kay, A. Pinder, and S. Halse (1997). Spineless indicators. Landscope 12(3): 49-53.


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21. KPI 21 - The level of soil damage resulting from timber harvesting

21.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to soil and water is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to protect soil and water resources on land to which the plan applies. (Forest Management Plan p48) Forest Management Plan extract (page 51) Key performance indicator 21 The level of soil damage resulting from timber harvesting. Performance measure Soil damage by risk category as measured by survey. Performance target(s) Soil damage not to exceed prescribed maximum levels (see

Appendix 6). Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to the


The objective in relation to soil damage is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the operational scale for the purpose of seeking to reduce soil damage: (Forest Management Plan p48) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 20.1 The Forest Products Commission and the Department will conduct their operations

involving the use of heavy machinery in a manner that: 20.1.1 has regard to the requirements of Appendix 6 where the operation occurs prior to the

approval of the Guidelines referred to in the following paragraph; and 20.1.2 is in accordance with the Soil and Water Conservation Guidelines which are to:

be prepared by the Department with public consultation; provide for the manner in which the requirements of Appendix 6 are to be met;

and be submitted to the Conservation Commission for advice and approved by the

Minister for the Environment by 31 December 2005, when they will take effect and supercede Appendix 6.

20.2 The Department and the Conservation Commission will review the operation of the

implementation of Appendix 6 and any Guidelines approved under Action 20.1.2, 12 months after the commencement of the plan.

20.3 The Department will investigate the development of a soil hazard assessment system to help planning to protect soil from damage.

20.4 The Forest Products Commission and the Department will rehabilitate soil damaged in the

course of their operations by: 20.4.1 identifying and mapping damaged soil; and 20.4.2 undertaking rehabilitation work as soon as is reasonable and practicable after the

completion of the operation.


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for soil protection in the Code of Practice for Timber Plantations and the relevant plantation manual, which is revised in consultation with the Department by 31 December 2005; and

20.5.2 rehabilitate damaged soil resulting from plantations operations to the standards specified in the Code of Practice for Timber Plantations and the relevant plantation manual.

21.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 21 21.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 21 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets by providing information on the amount of soil damage as a result of timber harvesting. 21.2.2. Rationale The use of heavy vehicles, such as those used in timber harvesting operations, can damage forest soils and it may take decades or longer for the soils to recover. The Forest Management Plan incorporates a preventative approach to soil damage. The information will contribute to continuous improvement in the use of heavy vehicles so that future soil damage is minimised. 21.2.3. Background and context Formal surveys of soil disturbance are required to be undertaken in areas subjected to timber harvesting operations. Formal surveys of soil disturbance are carried out along several transects which are distributed across the harvested cell and laid out at right angles to the general direction of the snig tracks. The soil disturbance is visually assessed over a small area (a 20 cm diameter circle) at one metre intervals along each transect. The assessment of soil disturbance is based on the visual evidence of soil and litter movement and mixing, and the soil horizon that is involved in the disturbance. Light disturbance typically involves disturbance of the litter layer. Moderate disturbance typically involves disturbance of the topsoil, and severe disturbance involves the subsoil. Visual soil disturbance indicators are shown in table 1 below. A detailed description of the assessment and survey procedures is given in the Interim Manual of Procedures for the Management of Soils Associated With Timber Harvesting in Native Forests (CALM, 2005). Table 1: Visual soil disturbance indicators for moderate, severe and very severe soil

disturbance. Soil disturbance

category Description

Moderate visible soil disturbance

Moderately disturbed, characterised by the topsoil mixed with subsoil or the topsoil partially removed

Severe visible soil disturbance

Severely disturbed, characterised by the topsoil completely removed and subsoil exposed or the topsoil mixed with subsoil, or the subsoil disturbed, or subsoil mixed with parent material, or the subsoil partially removed

Very severe visible soil disturbance

Very severely disturbed, characterised by the subsoil removed and parent material exposed or mixed with subsoil parent material

21.2.4. Issues There are potentially many surveys conducted over the duration of harvesting a feller’s block. If this is the case then the last survey for each coupe becomes the “performance measure” that is


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entered into the survey records. Survey methods have developed over the first two years of plan implementation so a consistent methodology providing comparable results that would readily identify trends is not yet available. 21.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI are:

Entity Target Soil damage for each soil disturbance risk category.

Soil disturbance to stay within permissible disturbance levels.



Custodian

Monitoring to be undertaken by trained officer in both Forest Products Commission and Regional Services Division and Forest Policy and Practices Branch.

Number of feller’s blocks that exceed the prescribed maximum limits (according to Appendix 6 of the Forest Management Plan)

Forest Products Commission and DEC staff to undertake formal visual surveys of soil disturbance at prescribed intervals in areas where timber harvesting is active. Staff to conduct surveys according to the requirements of the Interim Manual of Procedures for the Management of Soils Associated With Timber Harvesting in Native Forests and forward to DEC Regional SFM Coordinators. The Soil and Water Conservation Guidelines, being developed under the Forest Management Plan, will replace the Interim Manual of Procedures for the Management of Soils Associated With Timber Harvesting in Native Forests.


Entity to be measured Calculation method Feller’s blocks exceeding allowable limits in each risk period for each harvest type.

Total number of feller’s blocks that exceed allowable limits to be recorded and calculated as a percentage of the total number of surveys completed for each harvest type in each risk period. Full survey results to be summarised in Table 3 (shown in work instructions section) before being refined to Table 2 (shown in presentation section) as required for KPI reporting.


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Percentage of feller’s blocks exceeding allowable limits in each risk periods for each harvest type.

Soil disturbance surveys to be undertaken as required by the Interim Manual of Procedures for the Management of Soils Associated With Timber Harvesting in Native Forests.

Annually, following the collation of surveys completed.


Metric Presentation Percentage of feller’s blocks exceeding allowable limits in each risk period for each harvest type.

Data is presented in table format (table 2) to document the percentage of feller’s blocks that exceed prescribed soil disturbance limits in each risk period, for each harvest type. Text to analyse data and describe trends.

Table 2: Soil damage in each risk period as at reporting period 2004.

Moderate disturbance

Severe disturbance

Very severe disturbance

Landings Rutting Harvest type

Percentage of feller’s blocks exceeding allowable limit





High risk jarrah 5.6% 0% karri thinning karri pre-

logging

karri clearfell (including pre-logging)

Sub-total

Medium high risk

jarrah 0% 0%

karri thinning

karri pre-logging


Sub-total

Medium risk

jarrah 0% 0%

karri thinning karri pre-

logging


Sub-total

Total


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21.2.10. Responsibility The Forest Products Commission is responsible for:

conducting surveys in feller’s blocks; and

forwarding survey results to the appropriate DEC Regional Coordinator for Sustainable Forest Management.

Regional Coordinators for Sustainable Forest Management are responsible for:

seeing that DEC officers conduct surveys in feller’s blocks;

storage and maintenance of survey data;

collation of data into tables for reporting; and

forwarding of data to Forest Policy and Practices Branch prior to annual reporting. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for:

data presentation and analysis;

drafting text describing and interpreting trends; and

collating this information together with information from other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission.

The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report.

21.2.11. Work Instructions Information from monitoring is to be collated in the following format to assist interpretation. Table 3: Soil damage in high-risk, medium-high risk and medium risk categories. Moderate disturbance Severe visible

disturbance Very severe disturbance

Landings Rutting

Harvest type

Allowable limit (% of feller’s block)

Percentage of feller’s blocks exceeding limit


Percentage of feller’s blocks exceeding limits





Allowable limit for rutting=150 mm maximum depth for gravel and sand soils, 300 mm maximum depth for other soils; depths not to be exceeded over 20m length of feeder snig tracks.


jarrah 8 1/18= 5.6%

2 0/18= 0%

0 1.5 0/1= 0%

karri thinning

8 0/28= 0%

1 0/28= 0%

0 1

karri pre-logging

5 1 N/A

High risk


15 8 2 8 0 3.5 2/2= 100%

Sub-total

jarrah 8 0/16=

0% 2 0/16=

0% 0 1.5 0/1=

0%

karri thinning

8 0/20= 0%

1 0/20= 0%

0 1

karri pre-logging

5 1 0 N/A

Medium high risk


15 18 2 18 3.5 1/1= 100%

Sub-total


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Moderate disturbance Severe visible disturbance

Very severe disturbance

Landings Rutting

jarrah 8 0/15= 0%

2 0/15= 0%

0 1.5

karri thinning

8 0/6= 0%

1 0/6= 0%

0 1

karri pre-logging

5 2 0 N/A

Medium risk


15 8 N/A 8 N/A 3.5

Sub-total

Total

22. KPI 22 - Water production 22.1. 22.1 Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to soil and water is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to protect soil and water resources on land to which the plan applies (FMP p48) Forest Management Plan extract (page 51) Key performance indicator 22 Water production. Performance measure Streamflow of selected forest streams. Performance target(s) Streamflow to be maintained. Reporting Every five years subject to information being provided by the

Water Corporation and the Department of Water (linked to KPI 19).

Response to target shortfall The Department and the water authorities to identify the reasons for the trend and the Department to report to the Conservation Commission and to the Minister for the Environment. The Conservation Commission to evaluate the need for revision of management practices in the context of its assessment and auditing function, in consultation with the Department.

22.1.1. The objective in relation to water is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the operational scale for the purpose of seeking to protect the ecological integrity and quality of streams, wetlands and their associated vegetation, and increase the flow of water to surface and groundwater reservoirs (FMP p49) Most relevant FMP actions: 21.1 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will conduct their operations:

21.1.1 in a manner that has regard to the provisions for stream zones in Appendix 3 where the operation occurs prior to the approval of the Guidelines referred to in the following paragraph; and

21.1.2 in accordance with the Guidelines for the Management of Informal Reserves referred to in Action 3.1.2 and the Soil and Water Conservation Guidelines referred to in Action 20.1.2.

21.2 The Department will review the extent and condition of public access ways leading to public

water catchment areas, with a view to considering whether the number of access ways ought to be reduced or their condition improved.

21.3 The Department and the Forest Products Commission, in consultation with the

Conservation Commission, will evaluate with the Water Corporation and the Department of Water any proposal seeking to employ silvicultural treatments to increase the flow of water to surface and groundwater reservoirs.

21.4 The Department:

21.4.1 will provide advice and assistance to bodies seeking access to the potential sub-surface aquifers and surface reservoirs located on land to which the plan applies;


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21.4.2 will facilitate access to land to which the plan applies for the purposes of water extraction and the development of associated infrastructure for public water supply purposes where this is consistent with the CALM Act;

21.4.3 will take and use water sustainably from land to which the plan applies; 21.4.4 may issue permits, after consultation with the Conservation Commission, for the

sustainable taking of water from land to which the plan applies; and 21.4.5 will assist the Conservation Commission to develop a policy to provide guidance

when proposals to take water from land to which the plan applies are considered.


for water protection in the Code of Practice for Timber Plantations and the relevant plantation manual, which will be revised in consultation with the Department by 31 December 2005;

21.5.2 consult with the Department of Water prior to undertaking plantation operations in a public water catchment area; and

21.5.3 evaluate with the Department, the Water Corporation and the Department of Water any proposal seeking to employ silvicultural treatment to increase the flow of water to surface and groundwater reservoirs.

22.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 22 22.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 22 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan 2004-2013 to maintain the flow of water to surface reservoirs and to protect the ecological integrity of streams, wetlands and their associated vegetation. 22.2.2. Rationale This KPI is important for monitoring the amount of streamflow from catchments that support aquatic ecosystems and supply a large portion of water supply to Perth and the south west. This KPI will provide the Department with the necessary information so that management activities can be assessed and appropriate actions to better achieve the objective can be identified. 22.2.3. Background and context Declining rainfall in the south west region has resulted in significantly reduced runoff, with some streams changing from perennial to ephemeral in the past 20 years. Streamflow depends on a number of factors including rainfall parameters, catchment hydrologic parameters, groundwater levels and the amount of water used or intercepted by vegetation. Forest disturbances such as wildfire, mining, timber harvesting and disease such as jarrah dieback caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi may initially increase streamflow. Disturbances that result in regeneration such as mining and timber harvesting may be followed by the development of a relatively dense regrowth forest and a decrease in streamflow. In addition to the impact of climate change resulting in reduced rainfall and consequently reduced streamflow for water supply purposes, there may also be effects of reduced streamflow on aquatic biodiversity. 22.2.4. Issues Reporting on this KPI will depend on the ongoing monitoring of stream gauging stations and timely data processing, summary, analysis and interpretation by the Department of Water or Water Corporation. Monitoring at a number of gauging stations within the area of the Forest Management


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Plan reduced in the ‘90s and ‘00s but has improved in recent years with the re-opening of a number of stations. Since the mid 1970s rainfall has significantly declined. This reduction in rainfall increases the difficulty in assessing the FMP target of maintaining streamflow and identifying reasons for trends in observed streamflow in relation to management practices. For the purposes of this KPI the performance target to maintain streamflow will be assessed relative to rainfall. It is important to note that a reduction in rainfall generally results in a proportionately larger reduction in streamflow. 22.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI are:

Entity Target Streamflow Streamflow to be maintained.


Required data Collection & storage method Custodians Streamflow taken from a selection of gauging stations in streams within forested catchments located throughout the area of the Forest Management Plan.

Streamflow is measured using a V-notch weir and a stilling basin. A float well installed in the stilling basin uses a recorder to supply a continuous record of water level in the stilling basin. The water level is converted to discharge using a rating curve (see Bari and Boyd 1993).

Water Corporation, Department of Water and Department of Environment and Conservation (See Attachment 1).


Entity to be measured Calculation method Streamflow See 22.2.6 above. Streamflow trends. Interpretation of trends in streamflow relative to rainfall over five

year periods. 22.2.8. Entity measurement, calculation and reporting frequency

Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Streamflow Streams where streamflow is:

a) increasing

Streamflow is measured continuously. The ’water year’ to be used for streamflow analysis will be April-March.

Streamflow is summarised on a daily, monthly, and annual basis. These summaries and longer-term historical trends will be analysed and interpreted on a five yearly basis to facilitate reporting on the KPI, with the first report due in 2009.

b) steady c) decreasing

22.2.9. Presentation of the entities

Metric Presentation Streamflow (mm) Trends in streamflow over the previous five years, in the context of the long term record:


Annual streamflow shown graphically as a time series for at least the past five years. Accompanying text describing and interpreting the trends in streamflow.


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22.2.10. Responsibility The Department of Water is responsible for:

data collation and analysis from selected gauging stations;


interpretation of data and description of trends (in conjunction with DEC’s Forest Policy and Practices Branch of the Sustainable Forest Management Division and Water Corporation).

The Water Corporation is responsible for:

data collection and management from selected gauging stations; and

contributing to the Department of Water’s interpretation of data and description of trends. DEC’s Forest Policy and Practices Branch of the Sustainable Forest Management Division is responsible for:

provision of data on forest status and historical management activities within the catchments to support data analysis;

contributing to the Department of Water’s interpretation of data and description of trends; and

preparing a report on this KPI and collating this information together with information from other KPI’s into a report to the Conservation Commission and where necessary the Minister for Environment.

The Conservation Commission is responsible for the auditing, reviewing and publication of its report. References Bari, M.A. and Boyd, D.W. (1993). Streamflow and salinity response to logging and regeneration in the southern forest of Western Australia. Water Authority of Western Australia Report No. WS116


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Attachment 1: Work instructions for methodology supporting KPI 22 The gauging stations for this KPI are to be selected using the following criteria:

Large enough to represent broad landscape scale management activities (e.g. greater than 10 km2);

Distributed across FMP area and rainfall zones;

Available historical streamflow records are sufficient to determine trends;

Rainfall records in or adjacent to the catchment are available;

There is an intent within the water agencies for continued monitoring of the selected gauging stations into the future;

The catchments are less than 5% cleared (ideally less than 3%);

The catchments are predominantly within FMP tenure (e.g. > 95%); and

Where mining has occurred in a catchment, the mined area has been rehabilitated, the regenerated vegetation is established, and the catchment is representative of the northern jarrah forest within the FMP area.

The following gauging stations will be used for this KPI:

AWRC ref.

Waterway AWRC name Agency responsible for data collection

603005 Mitchell River Beigpiegup Department of Water

606001 Deep River Teds Pool Department of Water

606002 Weld River Wattle Block Department of Water

606195 Weld River Ordnance Road Crossing Department of Water

608002 Carey Brook Staircase Road Department of Water

609001 Rosa Brook Crouch Road Department of Water

610008 Margaret River North Whicher Range Department of Water

612004 Hamilton River Worsley Department of Water

612014 Bingham River Palmer Department of Water

613002 Harvey River Dingo Road Department of Water

613005 Tallanalla Creek Blackbutt Point Water Corporation

613008 Falls Brook Dee Tee 59 Water Corporation

614044 Yarragil Brook Yarragil Formation Department of Water

616002 Darkin River Pine Plantation Department of Water

616009 Pickering Brook Slavery Lane Department of Water

616010 Little Darkin River Hairpin Bend Road Department of Water

616012 Department of Water Helena Brook Trew Road GS

616013 Helena River Ngangaguringuring Department of Water

Waterfall Gully Mount Curtis Department of Water 616023

Helena River Poison Lease GS Department of Water 616216 In addition to the stations listed in above, the following gauging stations have been identified as strategically or scientifically important and may be used to assist in supporting analysis and interpreting trends observed in the gauging stations listed above.


114


AWRC

ref. Waterway AWRC name Agency responsible for

data collection 612008 Bingham River Trib. Ernies Catchment Department of Water

614007 South Dandalup Trib.. Del Park Department of Water

614019 Little Dandalup Trib. Hansen’s Catchment Department of Water

614021 North Dandalup Trib. Lewis Catchment Department of Water

614036 North Dandalup North Road Department of Water

614037 Big Brook O'Neil Road Department of Water

614048 Yarragil Brook Trib. Yarragil 4X Department of Environment and Conservation

614049 Yarragil Brook Trib. Yarragil 6C Department of Environment and Conservation

614057 Yarragil Brook Trib. 4L Sub Catchment Department of Environment and Conservation

614060 South Dandalup R. Trib. Gordon Catchment Department of Water

614062 Little Dandalup Trib. Bates Catchment Department of Water

614093 Big Brook Jayrup Mining Companies JIRZRP*

616021 Seldom Seen Creek Travellers Arms Department of Water

616022 More Seldom Seen Creek

Ceriani Farm Department of Water

616026 31 Mile Brook 31 Mile Road Department of Water

616041 Wungong Brook Vardi Road Department of Water

616058 Wungong Brook Cobiac Department of Water

616065 Canning River Glen Eagle Department of Water * Joint Intermediate Rainfall Zone Research Program The following data has been identified as potentially useful for interpreting trends in observed streamflow:

Long term changes in the timing and intensity of rainfall events in or adjacent to the gauged catchment;

Physical features of the catchment such as slope and soil type;

Forest structure by species including non-forest types and age of regeneration;

Timber harvesting history including (where available) silvicultural outcome, intensity, proportion of catchment and frequency of harvest;

Fire history including fuel age and where available season and intensity of burn; and

Forest health including where available dieback presence, history and impact.

23. KPI 23 - The identification and protection of cultural heritage

23.1 Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to natural and cultural heritage is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to maintain natural and cultural heritage. (Forest Management Plan p54) Forest Management Plan extract (page 55) Key performance indicator 23 The identification and protection of cultural heritage. Performance measure The number of existing and new heritage sites identified in

management planning and the number protected. Performance target(s) No disturbance of a registered place without formal approval. Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Department or the Forest Products Commission to

investigate the cause and report to the Conservation Commission and in the case of the Department, to the Minister for the Environment. The Conservation Commission to evaluate the need for revision of management practices in the context of its assessment and auditing function, in consultation with the Department.

The objective in relation to natural and other cultural heritage is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the operational scale for the purpose of seeking to identify, record, assess and manage places of natural and cultural heritage significance on land to which the plan applies: (Forest Management Plan p54) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 25.1 The Department will:

25.1.1 maintain and, where reasonable and practicable, enhance databases of cultural heritage places and values; and

25.1.2 cooperate with Commonwealth and State agencies, local government authorities and non-statutory organisations in relation to cultural heritage identification and conservation.

25.2 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will conduct their operations in a

manner that has regard to the Indigenous Heritage Management Guidelines and Non-Indigenous Heritage Management Guidelines after those Guidelines have been prepared.


25.3.1 undertake its operations in a manner that is in accordance with guidelines in the Code of Practice for Timber Plantations and the relevant plantation manual for the identification of significant heritage sites, which are to be revised in consultation with the Department; and

25.3.2 share information relating to identified heritage sites with the Department.


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23.2 Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 23 23.1.1 Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 23 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets by providing information on registered heritage sites identified in management planning and the adequacy of their protection during disturbance operations. 23.2.2 Background and context Indigenous Cultural Heritage The Department of Indigenous Affairs maintains a list of indigenous cultural heritage sites in Western Australia as part of the Register of Aboriginal Sites. DEC and the Department of Indigenous Affairs have an agreement where DEC receives monthly updates of listed sites through the Information Management Branch where the data is mapped. A yearly snapshot of indigenous sites is available through Data Druid and monthly updates can be sought through Information Management Branch. Non-indigenous Cultural Heritage The Recreation and Tourism Information System (RATIS) Cultural Heritage Database and the associated User’s Manual form part of the hierarchy of DEC processes to identify and protect non-indigenous cultural heritage values. Other databases that need to be accessed are the National Heritage List, Register of the National Estate, WA Register of Heritage Places and the Municipal Inventory for the local Shire. This data assists proponents of potential disturbance operations to ensure that places on DEC-managed lands and waters with cultural heritage value are identified, and the information about them is available for use in the planning and management processes for disturbance operations. 23.2.3 Rationale The performance measure for KPI 23 will help ensure the identification of heritage sites in operations planning so that assessment and management of those sites can prevent any disturbance without formal approval. 23.2.4 Issues For the purposes of identifying cultural heritage values there are two distinct nomenclature protocols used when referring to indigenous and non-indigenous values. The term “site” is used in relation to indigenous cultural heritage values, and “places” when referring to non-indigenous values (as per the Burra Charter). In the context of this KPI protocol both are used where specifically relating to one or other group of values, and “site” is used where both groups are being jointly referred to. The performance measure for KPI 23 will help ensure the identification of heritage places in operations planning so that the assessment and management of those places can prevent any unauthorized loss as a result of disturbance operations. A list of which places are considered to be registered for the purpose of this KPI is provided below:


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List Consider as “Registered” for KPI 23

National List Yes World Heritage List Yes World Biosphere Reserve Yes State Register of Heritage Places Yes National Trust Yes Statutory Database Yes Municipal Inventory Yes Register of National Estate No Regional Forest Agreement No Heritage Council Database No Town Planning Scheme No Large Timber Structures of WA No Other – RATIS Cultural Heritage Sites database No HCWA Assessment scheme No

The places contained on the RATIS Cultural Heritage Sites database (as at 2nd February 2010) have been assessed and a table containing all of the places meeting the above criteria has been generated (Appendix 1-3) for each of the districts within the area covered by the Forest Management Plan. At the time of preparation there are no places within the area covered by the Forest Management Plan that are listed on National List, World Heritage List or as a World Biosphere Reserve. 23.2.5 The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Registered indigenous cultural heritage sites identified within the area of proposed operations.

No disturbance of a registered place without formal approval.

Registered non-indigenous cultural heritage places within the area of proposed operations.

23.2.6 Required data

Required data Collection & storage method Custodians The location of indigenous heritage sites that are listed in the Register of Aboriginal Sites for the area of the Forest Management Plan.

List of registered indigenous are collected from the Department of Indigenous Affairs’ Register of Aboriginal Sites and stored in Departmental database. A yearly snap shot is taken of all registered sites on DEC-managed lands and is available on Data Druid. However the Register of Aboriginal Sites is updated on a monthly basis and newly registered sites are available through the Database Administrator, Information Management Branch.

Database Administrator, Information Management Branch


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Research and Information Management Section of Parks and Visitor Services Division for RATIS, Commonwealth Department of Environment and Water Resources, WA Heritage Council and local Shires.

The location of non-indigenous cultural heritage places in the area of the Forest Management Plan.

National Heritage List, World Heritage List, World Biosphere Reserve list, the WA State Register of Heritage Places, Municipal Inventory for the local Shire and the RATIS Cultural Heritage Database.


Parameter to be measured Calculation method Number of registered indigenous sites identified prior to disturbance operation.

Proponent of disturbance operation is to identify any sites registered within an area where operations are proposed. Regional staff to maintain a register of sites identified by proponents within operational areas.

Number of registered non-indigenous heritage places identified prior to forest operation.

Proponent of disturbance operation is to identify any places registered within an area where operations are proposed. Regional staff to maintain a list of places identified by proponents within operational areas.

Number of registered sites that were not disturbed.

Regional staff from DEC to keep record of identified sites that have not been disturbed during disturbance operations.

Number of registered sites disturbed with formal approval.

Regional staff from DEC to keep records of sites that have been disturbed (with formal approval) during disturbance operations.

Number of registered sites disturbed without formal approval.

Regional staff from DEC to keep records of sites that have been disturbed (without formal approval) during disturbance operations.




Commenced: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011

Number of registered indigenous sites identified. Number of registered non-indigenous cultural heritage places identified. Number of registered sites that were not disturbed. Number of registered sites disturbed with formal approval.

Annually Annually

Number of registered sites disturbed without approval.

23.2.9 Data presentation

Metric Presentation Number of sites identified, not disturbed or disturbed within approved operations.

Data is presented in a table (table 1) and will include:

number of registered indigenous cultural heritage sites identified;

number of registered non-indigenous cultural heritage places identified;

Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division of 180

119

number of registered heritage sites avoided;

number of registered heritage sites disturbed with formal approval; and

number of registered heritage sites disturbed without formal approval.



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Table 1: Disturbance of heritage sites on DEC-managed lands for (reporting period).

Sites identified in planning for disturbance operations

Registered heritage sites

Indigenous Non-indigenous Not disturbed Disturbed with

approval Disturbed without

approval Disturbance operations managed by DEC

Disturbance operations managed by FPC

Disturbance operations managed by other proponents

Total 23.2.10 Responsibility Proponents of disturbance operations on DEC-managed lands are responsible for identifying any sites registered within an area where disturbance operations are proposed. Regional staff from DEC are responsible for:

maintaining a list of sites identified within proposed disturbance operations, and whether the site was not disturbed, disturbed with formal approval or disturbed without formal approval;

additional information about any sites disturbed without formal approval; and

forwarding the above information to Forest Policy and Practices Branch for annual reporting.

Database Administrator, Information Management Branch is responsible for:

maintaining and updating the information from the Aboriginal Sites Register System as maintained for use by DEC officers; and

providing information to regional staff from DEC and the Forest Products Commission on request of any updates to the Register of Aboriginal Sites.

Research and Information Management Section of Parks and Visitor Services Division is responsible for maintaining the RATIS database. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for:

data collation;


collation of information for this KPI together with other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission.

The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and publication of its report.

Appendix 1 - Registered places for Swan Region. REGION DISTRICT LGA PLACENAME HCW

A No. Register of Heritage Places

Municipal Inventory

National Trust

Statutory Database

Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Eastern Railway Deviation - Tunnel

2660 Yes Yes Yes Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Mason and Bird Timber Tramway Bridge

2662 Yes Yes

Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Eastern Railway - Three Bridges


Swan Perth Hills Waroona (S) Waterous Townsite 3082 Yes Yes Swan Perth Hills Waroona (S) Hamel Nursery 3084 Yes Yes Swan Perth Hills Murray (S) Marrinup Prisoner of War

Camp 3103 Yes Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Victoria Reservoir (fmr) 3510 Yes Yes Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Barton's Mill Prison (ruins) 3580 Yes Yes Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Blackboy Hill Commemoration

Site 4479 Yes Yes Yes

Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) John Forrest National Park 8561 Yes Yes Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Chauncy's Cairn 8565 Yes Yes Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Lake Leschenaultia 8568 Yes Yes Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Paxwold Girl Guides Camp 1041

1 Yes Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Perth Observatory 10551

Yes Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Statham's Quarry (fmr) 10570

Yes Yes

Swan Perth Hills Boddington (S) Asquith (Long Gully) Bridge over Murray River

15424

Yes Yes

Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Traveller's Inn (fmr) (ruins) 1684 Yes Yes Swan Perth Hills Murray (S) Pinjarra to Boddington

Railway Route 3102 Yes

Swan Perth Hills Toodyay (S) Clackline To Toodyay Railway Line

3858 Yes Yes

Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Canary Island Pine 4372 Yes Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Oak Tree 4373 Yes Yes Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) King Jarrah 4374 Yes Swan Perth Hills Beverley (S) Russell Management Area 4402 Yes Swan Perth Hills Serpentine-

Jarrahdale (S) Jarrahdale Railway Cutting 4503 Yes

Swan Perth Hills Beverley (S) Halfway Shop 4577 Yes Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Chauncy Spring 4614 Yes Swan Perth Hills Wandering (S) Gleneagle School Site 7050 Yes Swan Perth Hills Serpentine-

Jarrahdale (S) Italian Prisoner of War Camp 8486 Yes

Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Site of No. 2 Pumping Station 8539 Yes Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Portagabra 8541 Yes Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Gorries - Malmalling ruins 8579 Yes Swan Perth Hills Mundaring (S) Old Well - Sawyers Valley 8581 Yes Swan Perth Hills Serpentine-

Jarrahdale (S) Two CALM Houses - Jarrahdale

8612 Yes

Swan Perth Hills Serpentine-Jarrahdale (S)

Eight CALM Houses - Jarrahdale

8613 Yes

Swan Perth Hills Serpentine-Jarrahdale (S)

CALM House 8616 Yes

Swan Perth Hills Murray (S) Marrinup Townsite (ruins) 9014 Yes Swan Perth Hills Murray (S) Barrajup Crossing 9018 Yes Swan Perth Hills Murray (S) Island Point Crossing 9069 Yes Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Ashendon Road 1035

0 Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) McCaskill Grave 10361

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Munday's Brook Diversion Channel

10376

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Lesmurdie Falls National Park 10403

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Hummerston Road 10449

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Armadale (C) Weston Grave 10486

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Mason Mill (site of) 10487

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Mt Gungin Fire Tower Site, Hackett's Gully

10498

Yes


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REGION DISTRICT LGA PLACENAME HCWA No.

Register of Heritage Places

Municipal Inventory

National Trust

Statutory Database

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Sam Burkhardt's gold mine & shaft

10535

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Weston Rd 10560

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Kalamunda (S) Zig Zag Scenic Drive 10571

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Toodyay (S) Site of Morangup Spring 12242

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Chittering (S) Community Paper Box 14158

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Chittering (S) Wannamal Well 14161

Yes

Swan Perth Hills Chittering (S) Burroloo Wells and Sawmill 14178

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Cockburn (C) Quarantine Station (former) 499 Yes Yes Yes Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Gloucester Lodge and Pool


Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Yanchep Inn 2678 Yes Yes Yes Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Tram Cottages 2679 Yes Yes Yes Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - McNess Guest House 2680 Yes Yes Yes Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Ghost House Ruin, Chauffeur's Room and Garage


Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Army Bunkers - radar installation


Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Administration Building 2683 Yes Yes Yes Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Waroona (S) Hamel Nursery 3084 Yes Yes Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Waroona (S) Hamel Nursery - Cork Oak 4394 Yes Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Perth (C) East Perth Cemetery 2164 Yes Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Beach House 2684 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Recreation Hall Site 2685 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Rockingham (C)

Penguin Island 3164 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) Yanchep National Park Reserve

4151 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Rockingham (C)

Penguin Island Kitchen/Store Cave

4287 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Rockingham (C)

Penguin Island Well 4303 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Waroona (S) Hamel Nursery -Camellia 4395 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Armadale (C) Forrestdale Lake & Adjacent Wetlands

4403 Yes Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Kwinana (T) Leda West (inc Sloans Reserve)

4468 Yes Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

South Perth (C)

The WA Herbarium & Herbarium Garden

4800 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

South Perth (C)

Dept of Conservation & Land Management (CALM) Complex

4824 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

South Perth (C)

Milyu Nature Reserve and Marine Park

4839 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Waroona (S) Lake Clifton Tunnels 8636 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Waroona (S) Lime Works 8637 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Mandurah (C) Stromatalites 9071 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) Neerabup Lake National Park 9483 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Crystal Caves 9529 Yes


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Register of Heritage Places

Municipal Inventory

National Trust

Statutory Database

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Avenue of Trees 9531 Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Cockburn (C) Tuart Forest - Brownman Swamp

10199

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Cockburn (C) Tuart Trees - Coogee Lake 10200

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Kwinana (T) The Spectacles Wetland 12098

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Kwinana (T) Wandi Nature Reserve 12104

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Kwinana (T) Wellard Swamp / Bollard Bulrush Swamp

12107

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Kwinana (T) The Spectacles 12108

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Generator Bunkers - Radar Installation

14278

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) Neerabup Lake Caves 14291

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) Sheep Dips 14295

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Yanchep Golf Clubhouse

17950

Yes

Swan Swan Coastal

Wanneroo (S) YNP - Yanchep National Park Precinct

Yes Yes


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Appendix 2 - Registered places for South West Region. REGION DISTRICT LGA PLACENAME HCWA

No. Register

of Heritage Places

Municipal Inventory

National Trust

Statutory Database

South West

Blackwood Augusta-Margaret River (S)

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and Quarters

104 Yes Yes Yes Yes

South West


Leeuwin Spring & Waterwheel

106 Yes Yes Yes

South West


Wallcliffe House & Landscape

114 Yes Yes Yes

South West

Blackwood Donnybrook-Balingup (S)

Ferndale Homestead 702 Yes Yes Yes

South West


Golden Valley Homestead 707 Yes Yes Yes Yes

South West


Southampton Homestead 710 Yes Yes Yes Yes

South West

Blackwood Busselton (S) Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and Quarters

2914 Yes Yes Yes

South West

Blackwood Nannup (S) Jalbarragup Bridge (ruin) 3364 Yes Yes Yes

South West

Blackwood Busselton (S) Lime Kilns 4622 Yes Yes

South West


Ellensbrook Farmhouse, Dam & Waterfall

115 Yes Yes Yes

South West


Old Karridale Townsite Chimney

124 Yes Yes Yes

South West

Blackwood Nannup (S) Ellis Creek Mill site. 255 Yes

South West

Blackwood Nannup (S) Barrabup Strongroom site 2983 Yes

South West


Watering Trough 3037 Yes

South West

Blackwood Busselton (S) Lucy Isaacs Graveyard 3440 Yes Yes

South West


Cape Leeuwin Conservation Area

4415 Yes

South West

Blackwood Busselton (S) Tuart Forest Landscape Area

4416 Yes

South West


'Georgette' Memorial 4957 Yes

South West


Hamelin Bay Gravesite 4961 Yes

South West


Jarrahdene Mill 4963 Yes

South West


'Lovespring' Anchor 4967 Yes

South West


Memorial "HMAS Nizam" 4976 Yes

South West

Blackwood Boyup Brook (S)

Gregory Tree 4994 Yes

South West


Eucalyptus Marri - red flowering form

5001 Yes

South West


Golden Valley Tree Park 5003 Yes

South West


Lewana Park 5006 Yes

South West

Blackwood Busselton (S) Ballarat Tramline Plaque and Wheel (Locomotive) - Raubon Rd

5333 Yes

South West


Site of House buried under Sand Dunes

5339 Yes

South West

Blackwood Busselton (S) Mt Seaview Firetower (Happy Valley)

5349 Yes


125


Register of

Heritage Places

Municipal Inventory

National Trust

Statutory Database

South West

Blackwood Busselton (S) Reserve C28683 5352 Yes

South West

Blackwood Busselton (S) Nature Reserve 28665 & Big Rock Nature Reserve

5353 Yes

South West


Sugar Loaf Rock 5363 Yes

South West


Canal Rocks Footbridge 13486 Yes

South West

Blackwood Capel (S) Forestry Houses - Ludlow 14872 Yes

South West

Blackwood Capel (S) Single Men's Quarters - Ludlow

14874 Yes

South West

Blackwood Capel (S) Dinny Connell's House 15144 Yes

South West

Blackwood Capel (S) Formation Road - (existing alignment)

15147 Yes

South West

Blackwood Capel (S) Picnic Tree 15152 Yes

South West

Blackwood Bridgetown-Greenbushes (S)

Dalgarup Management Priority Area

18621 Yes

South West

Wellington Collie (S) Buckingham Mill Precinct 3367 Yes

South West

Wellington Collie (S) Surface Management Priority Area

4461 Yes

South West

Wellington Collie (S) Wellington Dam 6344 Yes

South West

Wellington Donnybrook-Balingup (S)

Mungalup Dam 6348 Yes

South West

Wellington Williams (S) Hillman Dam 8808 Yes


126

Appendix 3 - Registered places for Warren Region. REGION DISTRICT LGA PLACENAME HCWA

No. Register

of Heritage Places

Municipal Inventory

National Trust

Statutory Database

Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Dingup Anglican Church 1505 Yes Yes Yes Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) St Erney's Homestead 1510 Yes Yes Yes Yes Warren Donnelly Nannup (S) Donnelly River Mill 2966 Yes Yes Yes Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Pemberton-Northcliffe Railway 4637 Yes Yes Yes Warren Donnelly Nannup (S) Donnelly River Mill & Townsite

Precinct 8198 Yes Yes

Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) St Mark's Anglican Church 1511 Yes Yes Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) One Tree Bridge 1716 Yes Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Paling's Bridge - Donnelly

Bridge 1 1721 Yes

Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Muir's Hut and Yards 3140 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Karri Trees - (The Four Aces) 4368 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Jarrah Trees – Gordon Block 4369 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Gloucester Tree 4370 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Brockman's Sawpit 4471 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Windy Harbour Cliffs 4472 Yes Warren Donnelly Nannup (S) Black Point 4483 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Moon's Crossing 11388 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) "One Mile" picnic ground

Grave & Campsite 11401 Yes

Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Hydro-electric Scheme Ruins 11402 Yes Warren Donnelly Nannup (S) Brockman's Cattle Yards 11406 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Site of Timber Railway 11412 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) D'arcy Lefroy's property 11417 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Site of first Giblett family

property 11418 Yes

Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Tramway Viaduct 11419 Yes Warren Donnelly Nannup (S) Site of Graphite Mine 11420 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Soap Stone Quarry 11422 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Balganup (Bolghinup) Slab Hut

& Stockyards 11425 Yes

Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Coodamurrup Homestead 11426 Yes Warren Donnelly Manjimup (S) Shannon River Bridge on the

old Chesapeake Rd 11428 Yes

Warren Frankland Denmark (S) Scotsdale Road Bridge 4636 Yes Yes Warren Frankland Manjimup (S) Banksia Camp Hut 11391 Yes Warren Frankland Manjimup (S) Wreck site of the "Mandalay" 11393 Yes Warren Frankland Manjimup (S) Crystal Springs hut and cattle

yards 11394 Yes

Warren Frankland Manjimup (S) House ruins - Deep River 11395 Yes Warren Frankland Manjimup (S) Rest Point Sawpits 11398 Yes Warren Frankland Manjimup (S) Sandy Beach 11399 Yes Warren Frankland Manjimup (S) Monastery Landing 11400 Yes

Yes Warren Frankland Denmark (S) Harewood Forest 14314 Warren Frankland Denmark (S) Tree Top Walk - Valley of the

Giants 14411 Yes


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24. KPI 24 - Consultation and involvement of Aboriginal people in forest management

24.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to natural and cultural heritage is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to maintain natural and cultural heritage. (Forest Management Plan p54) Forest Management Plan extract (page 55) Key performance indicator 24 Consultation and involvement of Aboriginal people in forest

management. Performance measure Establishment of the Nyoongar working group.

Issues addressed by the Nyoongar working group. Statutory referrals required under native title legislation.

Performance target(s) Nyoongar working group to be established by 31 December 2004. All statutory referrals made.

Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Department or the Forest Products Commission to

investigate the cause and report to the Conservation Commission and in the case of the Department, to the Minister for the Environment. The Conservation Commission to evaluate the need for revision of management practices in the context of its assessment and auditing function, in consultation with the Department.

The objective in relation to Aboriginal heritage is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the operational scale for the purpose of seeking to work with Aboriginal people to identify, interpret, protect, and manage significant cultural heritage sites: (Forest Management Plan p54) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 24.1 The Department will:

24.1.1 seek to establish a formal Nyoongar consultative working group to advise on issues relating to Aboriginal cultural heritage in the plan area;

24.1.2 identify Nyoongar women and men with authority and knowledge relating to Aboriginal cultural heritage in the plan area, and provide for their involvement in the management of the forest; and

24.1.3 facilitate cross-cultural awareness and interpretive activities to inform and educate the wider community regarding Aboriginal culture.

24.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 24 24.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 24 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan through monitoring progress towards the establishment and performance of the Nyoongar working group.


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24.2.2. Rationale Working and consulting with Aboriginal people will help to continue the practicing of traditional cultures on lands in the area of the Forest Management Plan. Establishment of a Nyoongar working group will assist in the effectiveness of this consultation to meet indigenous heritage requirements under the terms of the Forest Management Plan. 24.2.3. Background and context Heritage in forests includes Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultural values and natural values. The plan provides for the management of the range of heritage values. Management and interpretation of Aboriginal cultural heritage is carried out jointly with Aboriginal people. Progress towards establishment of the Nyoongar working group involves:

contacting the Southwest Land and Sea Council to initiate process;

liaising with the Southwest Land and Sea Council regarding suitable nominations and potential committee members, and terms of reference for the Nyoongar working group;

contacting those people nominated as committee members for the Nyoongar working group; and

establish administrative structure for the Nyoongar working group. 24.2.4. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Establishment of the Nyoongar working group.

Nyoongar working group to be established by 31 December 2004.

Issues addressed by the Nyoongar working group.

No target

Statutory referrals required under native title legislation.

All statutory referrals made.

24.2.5. Performance target The performance target for the KPI (Issues addressed by the Nyoongar working group, and Statutory referrals required under native title legislation) can be addressed once the Nyoongar working group has been established and the administrative processes put in place. The presentation for the KPI will consist of a list of:

all issues addressed by the Nyoongar working group annually; and

the number of statutory referrals made annually. 24.2.6. Responsibility Parks and Visitor Services Division is responsible for collection and collation of the information on this KPI. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating this information together with information from other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report.


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25. KPI 25 - The protection of heritage places through representation in reserves

25.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to natural and cultural heritage is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to maintain natural and cultural heritage. (Forest Management Plan p54) Forest Management Plan extract (page 56) Key performance indicator 25 The protection of heritage places through representation in

reserves. Performance measure Representation of heritage values in the existing and proposed

formal and informal reserve system. Performance target(s) The Department and the Conservation Commission to complete

all actions for which they are responsible in order to formally change the land category of areas proposed for the reserve system within 10 years after the commencement of the plan.

Reporting Biennially on progress. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the lack of progress and report to

the Conservation Commission and to the Minister for the Environment. The Department to address those impediments within its control and the Department and the Conservation Commission to advise the Minister for the Environment on measures to address other impediments.

The objective in relation to natural and other cultural heritage is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the operational scale for the purpose of seeking to identify, record, assess and manage places of natural and cultural heritage significance on land to which the plan applies: (Forest Management Plan p54) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 25.1 The Department will:

25.1.1 maintain and, where reasonable and practicable, enhance databases of cultural heritage places and values; and

25.1.2 cooperate with Commonwealth and State agencies, local government authorities and non-statutory organisations in relation to cultural heritage identification and conservation.

25.2 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will conduct their operations in a

manner that has regard to the Indigenous Heritage Management Guidelines and Non-Indigenous Heritage Management Guidelines after those Guidelines have been prepared.


25.3.1 undertake its operations in a manner that is in accordance with guidelines in the Code of Practice for Timber Plantations and the relevant plantation manual for the identification of significant heritage sites, which are to be revised in consultation with the Department; and

25.3.2 share information relating to identified heritage sites with the Department.


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25.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 25 25.2.1. Objective of the KPI. The objective of KPI 25 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets for the protection of heritage places/sites in the conservation reserve system. 25.2.2. Rationale The inclusion of a heritage place in the conservation reserve system is likely to improve its protection status. 25.2.3. Background and context Heritage comprises the things we value and want to keep as a community and as a culture. It includes indigenous and non-indigenous cultural values and natural values. The Forest Management Plan provides for the management of the range of heritage values. Indigenous heritage Sacred sites are an integral part of Aboriginal Culture. There is also a rich lore, traditions and the ongoing use of and care for country. There are approximately 23,000 sacred sites registered in Western Australia. A number of these sites are situated within the area of the Forest Management Plan and belong to the Nyoongar people of south-west Western Australia. A register of these sites is maintained by the Department of Indigenous Affairs. This register is periodically updated and the information is provided to DEC. Cultural heritage European exploration and colonisation of Western Australia has brought with it a wealth of cultural heritage. In the south-west there is evidence of past activities including timber towns, sawmills, transport systems, dams and weirs, tree nurseries, buildings, structures and other sites. There is also a rich folklore, traditions and the ongoing use and care for the land and forests. Natural heritage Natural heritage values include old-growth forest; representative vegetation; natural landscapes; rare, threatened or restricted flora and fauna; forest communities; remnant vegetation; important wetlands; species richness; refugia and centres of endemism; flora at the limit of their range; and geological heritage. The Commonwealth Australian Heritage Council Act 2003 provides a register and process for the identification and listing of these places. 25.2.4. Issues The protection of heritage places/sites through their representation in reserves requires the location details for each place/site so they can be overlaid with land category. Not all heritage places registered in the RATIS database have location coordinates attached. The process of registering coordinates to heritage places is currently being undertaken. This will have an impact on the amount of data available for presentation for this KPI particularly through the early stages of the Plan.



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Entity Target Number of heritage places/sites in the conservation reserve system.

Formally change the land category of areas proposed for the conservation reserve system within 10 years after the commencement of the plan to increase the level of representation of heritage places in the conservation reserve system.


Required data Collection & storage method Custodians Number of heritage places/sites in area of Forest Management Plan in existing land categories for biennial reporting periods.

Number of heritage places from “Register of Aboriginal Sites,” State “Register of Heritage Places,” “National Register of Heritage Places” and RATIS (Recreation And Tourism Information System).

Department of Indigenous Affairs, Western Australia Heritage Council, Australian Heritage Council, Parks and Visitor Services Division and Information Management Branch.


Parameter to be measured

Calculation method

Change in the number of heritage places/sites over time in the formal and informal reserve system.

Intersect Register of Aboriginal Sites, National Register of Heritage Places, State Register of Heritage Places and RATIS with the gazetted area of the formal conservation reserve system, Forest Conservation Area’s and the informal reserve system. Assess representation of heritage places in the conservation reserve system over biennial reporting periods.


Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Number of heritage places/sites in the conservation reserve system as at biennial reporting periods.



The representation of heritage places in the conservation reserve system

December

2004 December

2006 December

2008 December

2010 December

2012 December

2014 Target

Land category No of places/

site

% of target

No of places/

site

% of target

No of places/

site

% of target

No of places/

site

% of target

No of places/

site

% of target

No of places/

site

% of target

No of places/

site

% of target

Formal reserves

Forest Conservation Areas

Informal Reserves

Total

25.2.10. Responsibility Geographic Information Section of Information Management Branch is responsible for:

obtaining updated information on a biennial basis from the Register of Aboriginal Sites, (DEC receives monthly updates of this list from the Department of Indigenous Affairs. This is done through a contract with the Geographic Information Section of the Information Management Branch), State Register of Heritage Places, National Register of Heritage Places and RATIS.

overlaying updated information on heritage places/sites with the formal and informal reserve system biennially; and

presenting results in a table (see table 1). Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating this information together with information from other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report.


26. KPI 26 - Number, range and use of recreation/tourism activities available by proposed land category in the plan area

26.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to socio-economic benefits is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and enhance socio-economic benefits obtained from the forest to meet community needs. (Forest Management Plan p57) Forest Management Plan extract (page 60) Key performance indicator 26 Number, range and use of recreation/tourism activities available

by proposed land category in the plan area. Performance measure Type and number of recreation and tourism facilities available in

the plan area (e.g. picnic sites, campsites, toilets, visitor centres, walking trails, or major tourism developments). The number of visits to selected recreation areas. The satisfaction visitors express with their experience.

Performance target(s) Visitor satisfaction maintained at high levels. Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to the


The objective in relation to recreation and tourism is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the whole of forest scale for the purpose of seeking to provide opportunities for active and passive recreation and tourism that will meet public demand, so far as is practicable and sustainable, and provide regional economic benefits (Forest Management Plan p57) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 26.1 The Department will:

26.1.1 prepare, in consultation with the Conservation Commission, and progressively implement a strategic framework plan for recreation and tourism on land to which the plan applies;

26.1.2 issue and administer licences, leases and permits for commercial tourism uses in accordance with the provisions of the CALM Act;

26.1.3 issue permits and take other action to enable organised non-commercial recreation and educational groups to undertake appropriate activities;

26.1.4 undertake research in relation to the knowledge, attitudes, skills and activities of visitors to land to which the plan applies; and

26.1.5 where appropriate, provide designated areas where camping may take place or where dogs and horses may be taken.

Last updated: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011 Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division 133 of 180

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26.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 26 26.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 26 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets through the provision of recreational opportunities and tourism. 26.2.2. Rationale This indicator is important for monitoring the provision of recreation and tourism facilities by the Department and, will help determine whether the range and quality of those facilities are being maintained or improved as a result of management practices. 26.2.3. Background and context Expanding the range of visitor facilities within the south-west region is anticipated to encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more, thereby increasing the economic benefits associated with nature-based tourism. Some of the new facilities being developed include the Karri Tingle Visitor Centre in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park, as well as a number of tourist drives and private sector low impact accommodation developments. Departmental Policy Statement No. 18 ‘Recreation, tourism and visitor services’ (1991) and operational guidelines prescribe visitor services provided by the Department. Programs are implemented by Departmental regions and districts based on a five-year strategic plan, and two-year business plans. Visitor services are funded through recurrent and capital budget allocations to the three regions, and through the retention of park entrance, camping, lease and licence fees. 26.2.4. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Type and number of recreation and tourism facilities Number of visits to selected recreation/tourism areas

No target

Level of visitor satisfaction Maintained or increase level of visitor satisfaction.


Required data Collection & storage method Custodians Type of recreation and tourism facilities for the area of the Forest Management Plan.

Last updated: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011

Number of recreation and tourism facilities for the area of Forest Management Plan.

Data collect by district staff and stored in Recreation and Tourism Information System (RATIS).

The number of visits to selected recreation sites for the area of Forest Management Plan.

Relevant district staff and Research & Information Management Section of Parks and Visitor Services Division.

Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division 134 of 180

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Visitor satisfaction level for managed recreation sites for the area of the Forest Management Plan.


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Parameter to be measured Calculation method Type of recreation and tourism facilities for the area of the Forest Management Plan.

Recreational facilities to be aggregated into approximately 10 type categories. RATIS database administrator to refine list of facilities in each type category by proposed land category for annual reporting periods.

Number of recreation and tourism facilities for the area of the Forest Management Plan.

Total number of recreational facilities provided by the Department in proposed land categories.

Number of visits to selected recreation areas for each proposed land category.

Number of visits to selected recreational areas provided by the Department for proposed land categories.

Mean level of visitor satisfaction for the area of Forest Management Plan.

Visitor satisfaction surveys are conducted as part of annual reporting requirements. RATIS Database Administrator to collate survey results of all sites within the Forest Management Plan and calculate mean visitor satisfaction levels over annual reporting periods.

26.2.7. Parameter to be measured, calculation and reporting frequency



Type of recreation and tourism facilities provided by the Department as at annual reporting periods. Number of existing recreation and tourism facilities provided by the Department as at annual reporting periods. Number of visits to selected recreation areas for each proposed land category.

Annually Calculation to follow annual updates of RATIS.

Mean level of visitor satisfaction over annual reporting periods.


Metric Presentation Type and number of facilities provided by the Department.

Type and number of recreation and tourism facilities by proposed land category for the area of the Forest Management Plan as at annual reporting periods (table 1). Text to explain changes and trends in data.

Number of visits to selected recreation areas.

Number of visits to selected recreation areas by proposed land category for the area of the Forest Management Plan as at annual reporting periods (table 2). Text to explain changes and trends in data.

Mean level of visitor satisfaction.

Mean level of visitor satisfaction expressed for all recreation and tourism facilities to be presented as a line graph (figure 1) for the area of the Forest Management Plan over annual reporting periods.


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Table 1: Type and number of recreation and tourism facilities by proposed land category for

the area of the Forest Management Plan as at annual reporting period 2004. Number of recreation facilities for each type of recreational facility Proposed land

category Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4 Type 5 Type 6 Type 7 Type 8

National park

Nature reserve

Conservation park

State forest, timber reserve

CALM Act section 5 (1)(g) & (h) reserves

Total

Table 2: Number of visits to selected recreation areas by proposed land category for the area

of the Forest Management Plan over the period 2004 to 2006. Recreation area 2004 2005 2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

50

60

70

80

90

100

2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

Time (years)

Mea

n l

evel

of

visi

tor

sati

sfac

tio

n

(per

cen

tag

e)

Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate data presentation Figure 1: Mean level of visitor satisfaction for managed recreation/tourism sites for the area of

the Forest Management Plan over annual reporting periods.

26.2.9. Responsibility District staff are responsible for collecting and entering of relevant information from recreation and tourism sites. Last updated: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011 Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division 137 of 180

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Research & Information Management Section of Parks and Visitor Services Division is responsible for:

updating and maintaining RATIS Database with information;

collation and analysis of data;


draft text describing and interpreting trends. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating this information together with information from other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report.


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27. KPI 27 - Basic raw material supply 27.1 Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to socio-economic benefits is: An overall aim of the plan is to seek to sustain and enhance socio-economic benefits obtained from the forest to meet community needs. (Forest Management Plan p57). Forest Management Plan extract (page 60): Key performance indicator 27 Basic raw material supply. Performance measure The number of notices of entry served to the Department under

the Local Government Act. Performance target(s) No target, trends to be reported. Reporting Annually. The objective in relation to basic raw material supply is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the whole of forest scale for the purpose of seeking to manage basic raw materials (BRM) and promote the rehabilitation of areas to which the plan applies where BRM have been extracted: (Forest Management Plan p59). Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 29.1 The Department will extract and use gravel and other BRM required for the management of

land to which the plan applies. 29.2 The Conservation Commission will review its policy on BRM extraction as a matter of

priority. 29.3 The Department will make submissions in relation to proposals to extract basic raw

materials on land to which the plan applies that are forwarded to it for comment or advice, with a view to seeking: 29.3.1 to have the cost of rehabilitation of areas from which BRM are extracted borne by

the organisation responsible for the extraction of those materials; and 29.3.2 the lodgement of a rehabilitation performance bond.

29.4 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will maintain a database of areas

from which BRM have been extracted and will progressively develop plans and works programs for the rehabilitation of these areas.

27.2 Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 27 27.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 27 is to recording and reporting on the supply of basic raw materials from within the Forest Management Plan area. 27.2.2. Rationale This KPI is important for monitoring the supply of basic raw materials (BRM) from DEC-managed lands. The information will assist in the sustainable allocation of notices of intended entry through


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an annual review process that will determine quantities being extracted and set acceptable levels and targets for each region. 27.2.3 Background and context Under the Local Government Act 1995 (LG Act) basic raw materials may be removed by a local government or Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA) for road maintenance or construction requirements from any land. The material that may be removed includes earth, sand, stone and gravel. The appropriate legal mechanism for local governments or MRWA to secure access for the purpose of extracting and removing gravel from land managed by the Department is through the service on the Department of a 'notice of intended entry' (NOE) under sections 3.27 and 3.32 of the LG Act. Draft Policy Statement No. 2 (Part 1 of 2) Access to Basic Raw Materials from State Forest and Timber Reserves, and Draft Policy Statement No. 2 (Part 2 of 2) – Access to Basic Raw Materials From The Conservation Estate are currently under review and will cover the new legislative requirements. Consistent with CALM Policy No 2, gravel and other basic raw materials are made available to local government and MRWA free of charge for road works that service the Department’s management objectives for up to 5 km from State forest (or timber reserve) boundaries unless other reasonable alternatives are available. Access to basic raw materials from conservation estate will only be granted where the proposal meets the conditions specified in Conservation Commission of Western Australia Policy Statement 3 - Basic Raw Materials: Government and Local Government Access to Conservation Estate (National Parks, Nature Reserves and Conservation Parks) [July 2006]. The Regional Manager has the authority to enter into an agreement with the local government / MRWA with conditions for access if local government / MRWA serves a notice of entry under sections 3.27 and 3.32 of the LG Act. 27.2.4 Issues There is no pre-existing centralized management system or database that records the information required to facilitate reporting on this KPI. At present there is no consistent requirement for operators of pits established under NOE to provide annual returns about the quantity of material removed from the pit. Pits that are operated over a number of years only appear on record in the year that they are established. It is possible that Environmental Management Branch could develop guidelines and conditions for NOE to require the submission of annual returns for removals. Similar requirements can be placed on removals by Main Roads WA from pits on DEC-managed land. In the Mid-term Audit of the Forest Management Plan the Conservation Commission has recommended that ‘The Department and Forest Products Commission should develop a process to provide access to basic raw materials for the Forest Products Commission roading requirements associated with timber harvesting in State forest, which is within the current institutional framework. The process should ensure that there is adequate planning for access to the anticipated amount of gravel required over time on a regional basis, conditional approval for access is obtained from the Department prior to operations commencing, and that pit management and rehabilitation is undertaken to standards approved by the Department’. This issue is being addressed with intent that records will be provided to facilitate reporting for this KPI. With the introduction of the updated ‘Guidelines for the Management and Rehabilitation of Basic Raw Material Pits’ (2008) by Environmental Management Branch requiring the preparation of Pit Management Plans and the allocation of a ‘BRM Site Number’ will allow easier tracking of the Last updated: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011 Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division 140 of 180

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sources of BRM. For comprehensive data to be collected the Regional Manager should require that all BRM for DEC use be recorded against the pit from which it is obtained, and returns provided as part of the project conditions. 27.2.5 The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Notices of intended entry. No target, trends to be reported.

27.2.6 Required data

Required data Collection & storage method Custodians Information from notices of intended entry schedules to be collected for Swan, South West and Warren Regions. This information to be forwarded on request to Environmental Management Branch and stored in lists ready for annual reporting.

A list of all notices of intended entry served to the Department for the area of the Forest Management Plan for each annual reporting period.

Swan, South West, and Warren Regions, Environmental Management Branch of Nature Conservation Division.


Parameter to be measured Calculation method


Number of notices of intended entry served to the Department over annual reporting periods.

Sum of notices of intended entry for area of Forest Management Plan and, sum of notices of intended entry for existing and proposed formal conservation reserves for each reporting period.

Number of notices of intended entry served to the Department in existing and proposed formal conservation reserves over annual reporting periods. Volume removed in tonnes under each notice of intended entry.

Sum of volume removed for area of Forest Management Plan and, sum of volume removed for existing and proposed formal conservation reserves for each reporting period

Number of pits used or established for FPC by tenure category over annual reporting periods. Volume removed in tonnes for FPC by tenure category over annual reporting periods.

Sum of number of pits and volume used for area of Forest Management Plan and, sum of the number of pits and volume removed for existing and proposed formal conservation reserves by FPC for each reporting period.

Number of pits used or established by DEC by tenure category over annual reporting periods Number of pits used or established by DEC by tenure category over annual reporting periods.

Sum of number of pits and volume used for area of Forest Management Plan and, sum of the number of pits and volume removed for existing and proposed formal conservation reserves by DEC for each reporting period.


Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Number of notices of intended entry.

Annually on a calendar year basis


Volume removed under each notice of intended entry.



Number of pits used for FPC. Annually on a calendar year basis



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Quantity removed for FPC Annually on a calendar year basis


Number of pits used by DEC. Annually on a calendar year basis


Quantity removed by DEC Annually on a calendar year basis


27.2.9 Data presentation

Metric Presentation


Number of pits used for total area of the Forest Management Plan. Quantity of BRM extracted from existing and proposed formal conservation reserves.

Data to be presented as a line graph (Figure 1) to demonstrate change in the number of pits used, and volume removed over annual reporting periods. Text to describe any change or trends over annual reporting periods (see work instruction section).

Figure 1: Trends in the extraction of basic raw materials over annual reporting periods.

BRM Removals

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Year

No

. o

f P

its

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

Qu

anti

ty (

M3 )

State Forest & Timber Reserves No.of pits

Conservation Lands No. of pits

Other DEC Lands No. of pits

Total No. of pits

State Forest & Timber Reservesquantity removed

Conservation Lands quantityremoved

Other DEC Lands quantity removed

Total quantity removed

* Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate presentation of the data to be collated in table 6.



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27.2.10 Responsibility Swan, South West and Warren Regions are responsible for collection and storage of relevant information from the schedule attached to notices of intended entry, FPC removals and BRM for DEC use. Environmental Management Branch of Nature Conservation Division is responsible for:

collation and analysis of data;


draft text describing and interpreting trends. Forest Policy and Practices Branch are responsible for collating this information together with information from other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report. 27.2.11. Work Instructions

5. SFM Officer in each District to provide information on removals from BRM pits to the SFM Regional Leader. This will include relevant information from the returns from pits operated under NOE, returns associated with FPC and removals of BRM for DEC use (Use Tables 1-3 as s guide).

6. SFM Regional Leader in each Region (Swan, South West, Warren) to maintain database of removals from BRM pits. This will include relevant information from the returns from pits operated under NOE, returns associated with FPC and removals of BRM for DEC use (Use Tables 1-3).

7. Environmental Officer of Environmental Management Branch to request data from Swan, South West and Warren Regions prior to annual reporting date, and collate this into summary sheet (Table 1d, Table 2d, and Table 3d). Table 4a and Table 4b will be collated to summarize the removals by the various agents for each land category.

8. Environmental Officer to collate information from notices of intended entry schedules, FPC and Regional returns and present for total area of the Forest Management Plan the number of pits used, type of material extracted and the quantity removed. This information to be provided for each land category as shown in Table 5 (below) and is used to assist interpretation of the more general information that is presented for this KPI.

9. Environmental Officer to collate information from Table 6 (below) and use this to produce Figure 1 (above).

Table 1a: Extraction of basic raw materials by Notice of Entry by land category for Swan Region

Land Categories in FMP Area* State Forest & Timber Reserves Conservation Lands Other DEC Lands

Native forest Plantation Nature Reserve National Park Conservation

Park CALM Act CEO

lands Total

By Product CALM Act reserves

- s5 (1) (g) & (h). Product extracted

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

Sand

Clay

Gravel

Limestone Total by Categories

* Land categories are as proposed in the Forest Management Plan and as subsequently amended as provided for in the FMP. Table 1b: Extraction of basic raw materials by Notice of Entry by land category for South West Region



Park CALM Act CEO

lands Total



No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel


* Land categories are as proposed in the Forest Management Plan and as subsequently amended as provided for in the FMP.


145

Table 1c: Extraction of basic raw materials by Notice of Entry by land category for Warren Region



Park CALM Act CEO

lands Total



No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel


* Land categories are as proposed in the Forest Management Plan and as subsequently amended as provided for in the FMP. Table 1d: Summary of extraction of basic raw materials by Notice of Entry by land category for area of Forest Management Plan



Park CALM Act CEO

lands Total



No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

No. of NOE

Quantity removed

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel




146

Table 2a: Extraction of basic raw materials for FPC by land category for Swan Region



Park CALM Act CEO

lands Total



No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits Quantity removed




No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

Sand

Clay

Gravel


* Land categories are as proposed in the Forest Management Plan and as subsequently amended as provided for in the FMP. Table 2b: Extraction of basic raw materials for FPC by land category for South West Region



Park CALM Act CEO

lands Total



No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed





No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel




147

Table 2c: Extraction of basic raw materials for FPC by land category for Warren Region



Park Total CALM Act reserves

- s5 (1) (g) & (h). CALM Act CEO

lands By Product Product extracted

No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed



Quantity removed

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits No. of pits

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel


* Land categories are as proposed in the Forest Management Plan and as subsequently amended as provided for in the FMP. Table 2d: Summary of extraction of basic raw materials for FPC by land category for area of Forest Management Plan


Total Conservation CALM Act reserves - s5 (1) (g) & (h).

CALM Act CEO lands

Plantation Native forest Nature Reserve National Park By Product Park Product extracted

No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed


Quantity removed


Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits No. of pits

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel




148

Table 3a: Extraction of basic raw materials by DEC by land category for Swan Region



Park CALM Act CEO

lands Total



No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed





No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

Sand

Clay

Gravel


* Land categories are as proposed in the Forest Management Plan and as subsequently amended as provided for in the FMP. Table 3b: Extraction of basic raw materials by DEC by land category for South West Region



Park CALM Act CEO

lands Total



No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed





No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel




149

Table 3c: Extraction of basic raw materials by DEC by land category for Warren Region



Park CALM Act CEO

lands Total



No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed





No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel


* Land categories are as proposed in the Forest Management Plan and as subsequently amended as provided for in the FMP. Table 3d: Summary of extraction of basic raw materials by DEC by land category for area of Forest Management Plan



Park CALM Act CEO

lands Total



No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed





No. of pits

Quantity removed

No. of pits

Quantity removed

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel




150

Table 4a: Summary of entries for extraction of basic raw materials by agent by land category for area of Forest Management Plan



Park CALM Act reserves


lands Total

By Product Product extracted No. of pits No. of pits No. of pits No. of pits No. of pits No. of pits No. of pits No. of pits

Agent NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel


* Land categories are as proposed in the Forest Management Plan and as subsequently amended as provided for in the FMP. Table 4b: Summary of extraction of basic raw materials by volume by agent by land category for area of Forest Management Plan



Park CALM Act reserves


lands Total

By Product Product extracted Quantity removed Quantity removed Quantity removed Quantity removed Quantity removed Quantity removed Quantity removed Quantity removed

Agent NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC NOE FPC DEC

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel





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Table 5: Summary of extraction of basic raw materials by land category for area of Forest Management Plan

Land Categories in FMP Area* State Forest & Timber Reserves Conservation Lands Other DEC Lands Total Product

extracted No. of pits Quantity removed No. of pits Quantity removed No. of pits Quantity removed No. of pits Quantity removed

Shale

Sand

Clay

Gravel

Limestone Annual Total#

* Land categories are as proposed in the Forest Management Plan and as subsequently amended as provided for in the FMP. # Totals in grey shaded area to be used for the line graph in Figure 1. Table 6: Trend in extraction of basic raw materials by land category for area of Forest Management Plan over annual reporting periods.

Land Categories in FMP Area* Annual Total State Forest & Timber Reserves Conservation Lands Other DEC Lands All land categories and products Reporting

period No. of pits Quantity removed No. of pits Quantity removed No. of pits Quantity removed No. of pits Quantity removed

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Land categories are as proposed in the Forest Management Plan and as subsequently amended as provided for in the FMP.

28. KPI 28 - Adaptive management 28.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to plan implementation is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to ensure that forest management is undertaken in accordance with the plan and is continually improved so as to achieve best practice: (Forest Management Plan p61) Forest Management Plan extract (page 64) Key performance indicator 28 Adaptive management. Performance measure The number and topic of formal adaptive management trials. Performance target(s) Within five years, trials will be held into at least two separate

issues detailed in the plan’s action statements. Reporting Five years. Response to target shortfall Department to report to the Conservation Commission and to

the Minister for the Environment on measures required to address achievement.

The objective in relation to adaptive management is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to provide for adaptive management to improve forest management (Forest Management Plan p62) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 33.1 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will, in cooperation with the Water

and Rivers Commission and the Water Corporation, and in consultation with the Conservation Commission, conduct research in relation to the extent to which stream zones in informal reserves adequately protect biodiversity, water quality and water quantity in areas subject to timber harvesting.

33.2 The Department will, in consultation with the Conservation Commission, conduct trials,

where reasonable and practicable, of improvements to silviculture and fire management practices.

33.3 The Forest Products Commission will test methods to increase the utilisation of sawlogs

below first and second grade standards. 28.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 28 28.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 28 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets through undertaking adaptive management trials aimed at improving forest management. 28.2.2. Rationale Adaptive management is a key component of the management system envisaged in the Forest Management Plan, recognising that there is an incomplete knowledge of the effects of management practices on ecosystems. This performance measure is important for monitoring the continual improvement of knowledge in forest management practices, through adaptive management trials.


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28.2.3. Background and context Knowledge can be gathered by experimentation (research), adaptive management trials, formal and informal monitoring programs and compliance checking through supervision and audit. The research, adaptive management trials, monitoring and performance assessment proposed in the Plan is used to provide the knowledge to adapt management. Results from adaptive management trials are expected to become available at the mid-term review of the plan. Decisions on the implications for management is made in the second half of the plan period and may be implemented immediately or built into planning for the subsequent plan period. 28.2.4. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Formal adaptive management trials. Trials to be held into at least two separate issues

detailed in the plan’s action statements within five years.



Custodians

The number of formal adaptive management trials conducted.

Formal adaptive management trials to be conducted and recorded by relevant custodians.

Custodians according to the topic of the trials may include Forest Policy and Practices Branch, Forest Management Branch, Science Division or Forest Products Commission.


Entity to be measured Calculation method Number of formal adaptive management trials conducted relating to issues referred to in the plans action statements.

Adaptive management trials are to be conducted according to the plan’s action statements. Forest Policy and Practices Branch to collate the trials with DEC involvement into a list detailing the topic, title (issue) and a description of each trial prior to five-year reporting. FPC is to collate the trials with FPC involvement into a list detailing the topic, title (issue) and a description of each trial prior to five-year reporting.


Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Number and topic of trials conducted

Five-yearly Five-yearly


Metric Presentation Topic of trial


Title of trial Description of each adaptive management trial to be provided.

Description of trials conducted

28.2.9. Responsibility Custodians in DEC are responsible for:


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conducting trials according to the plan’s action statements;

recording results of trials; and

providing Forest Policy and Practices Branch with the topic and title (issue) of trials and a description of each trial prior to five-year reporting.

Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for coordinating the information for trials involving DEC, in terms of:

data collation;



Forest Products Commission is responsible for coordinating the information for trials involving FPC, in terms of:

data collation;


collation of information for this KPI together with other KPI that require reporting by FPC into a report to the Conservation Commission.



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29. KPI 29 - Provide for public involvement activities and public education, awareness and extension programs and make available forest-related information

29.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to plan implementation is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to ensure that forest management is undertaken in accordance with the plan and is continually improved so as to achieve best practice: (Forest Management Plan p61) Forest Management Plan extract (page 65) Key performance indicator 29 Provide for public involvement activities and public education,

awareness and extension programs and make available forest-related information.

Performance measure Compilation of programs for public involvement, education, awareness and extension programs.

Performance target(s) Available programs and numbers of the community exposed to programs increases over time.

Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to the


The objective in relation to community involvement is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to provide opportunities for Government agencies, non-government organisations and the community to participate in plan implementation: (Forest Management Plan p63) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 35.1 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will, when required by the provisions

of the plan, undertake public consultation in relation to the development and review of management policies and guidelines.

35.2 The Department will:

35.2.1 develop and implement programs that seek to provide the community with educational opportunities and information on ecologically sustainable forest management, in particular

35.2.2 establish public consultation processes; 35.2.3 provide opportunities for community participation in voluntary activities and

educational and social development programs relating to ecologically sustainable forest management; and

35.2.4 provide a range of opportunities for volunteers to be involved in forest management activities.

29.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 29 29.2.1. Objective of the KPI


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The objective of KPI 29 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets by tracking progress in the number of programs for public involvement and the numbers of the community exposed to forest-related programs. 29.2.2. Rationale The information from this KPI is important in assessing the achievement of the commitment to increasing public participation, knowledge and awareness through continued development and coordination of community education programs. Building community awareness and support is essential for sustainable forest management. Tracking the number of programs and the numbers of the community exposed to forest-related programs will help determine if community involvement is increasing, which is the objective of the Forest Management Plan. 29.2.3. Background and context Public participation is an ongoing process that can improve communication, interaction and joint decision-making between different stakeholders. Through public participation, all parties become better informed about the range of views on proposals and issues. Most importantly, a good public participation process will result in better decisions that are more sensitive and responsive to public concerns and values. The Department is committed to public participation and supports the right of members of the public to have a meaningful role in conserving Western Australia’s natural environment to ensure healthy ecosystems, social and economic well-being and conservation of biological diversity for present and future generations. This is based on recognition that providing a range of educational opportunities will contribute to a more informed public and increase the community’s appreciation of the natural environment and capacity to participate in public land management. 29.2.4. Issues Not all programs are readily measurable but the Department will report on those programs where information can be reasonably gathered. 29.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Forest-related programs available to the community.

Programs available to the public increase over time.

Community involvement in those programs

Numbers of the community exposed to programs increase over time.


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Custodians

Number of forest-related programs available to the public from: Regional Services Urban Nature Nearer to Nature Swan Region Southwest Region Warren Region Parks and Visitor Services; Interpretation and Visitor

Information Services Tracks & Trails Unit Indigenous Heritage Unit


Community Involvement Unit Strategic Development & Corporate Affairs; Eco-education Programs and Publications

Section eMedia.

Custodians to identify forest-related community involvement programs and record the number of those programs provided to the public annually

Regional Services Urban Nature Nearer to Nature Swan Region Southwest Region Warren Region Parks and Visitor Services; Interpretation and Visitor

Information Services Tracks & Trails Unit Indigenous Heritage Unit

Numbers of the community involved in those programs through: direct active participation direct education/awareness

programs education/awareness via

Internet (hits per site) education/awareness

packages

Custodians of forest-related community involvement programs to maintain register of numbers of the community involved in those programs annually

Community Involvement Unit

Strategic Development & Corporate Affairs; Eco-education Programs and

Publications Section eMedia


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Parameter to be measured Calculation method Number of forest-related programs available over annual reporting periods

Sum of all forest-related programs that were made available over annual reporting periods from Regional Services

Urban Nature Nearer to Nature Swan Region Southwest Region Warren Region

Parks and Visitor Services; Interpretation and Visitor Information Services Tracks & Trails Unit Indigenous Heritage Unit, Community Involvement Unit

Strategic Development & Corporate Affairs Eco-education Programs and Publications Section eMedia

Numbers of the community involved in forest-related programs over annual reporting periods.

Sum of members of the community involved in those programs.





Number of programs Annually Calculations to coincide with annual review process for the DEC Annual Report. Numbers of community Annually


Metric Presentation Number of programs Data to be presented as a line graph to show progression over reporting

periods. Text to explain data and describe any trends. Number of people


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0

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70

80

90

100

2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

Time (years)

Co

mm

un

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pro

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Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate data presentation

Figure 1: Number of forest-related community programs available over annual reporting

periods

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Time (years)

Nu

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op

le

Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate data presentation

Figure 2: Number of people involved in DEC initiated forest-related programs over annual

reporting periods.


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29.2.10. Responsibility Regional Services: Urban Nature, Nearer to Nature, Swan Region, Southwest Region and Warren Region. Parks and Visitor Services: Interpretation and Visitor Information Services, Tracks & Trails Unit, Indigenous Heritage Unit, Community Involvement. Strategic Development & Corporate Affairs: Eco-education, Programs and Publications Section, eMedia. The above groups are responsible for:

collection and management of data for forest-related community involvement programs provided annually; and

drafting text to describe and interpret trends. Visitor and Regional Services in the Parks and Visitor Services Division is responsible for:

collation of information provided by the different custodians;

analysis of data;


draft text describing and interpreting trends. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating this information together with information from other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for auditing, reviewing and the publication of its report. 29.2.11. Work Instructions Relevant custodians are required to:

1. Compile a list of all public involvement activities, public education programs, public awareness programs and extension programs that are forest-related. See table 1 (below). * Definitions of a) the various fields of public communication and b) the meaning of forest-related are provided below to assist in refining the data consistently across the Department.

2. Attribute numbers of the community involved in each of the communication fields according to Table 1 (below).

3. Forward lists annually to Visitor and Regional Services in the Parks and Visitor Services Division prior to annual reporting so that data from across the Department can be collated and presented according to Figure1 and Figure 2 (above).

4. Text to explain data and provide any additional information on the quality of those programs listed, the success of those programs in achieving set outcomes and increasing public awareness. Additional information provided by custodians might focus on:

the level of recurrent participation of school communities;

the number of new teachers participating in the programs; and

changes in responses to attitudinal surveys.


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29.2.12. Definitions

Term Definition Forest-related Forest-related is defined as the area which is the main focus of the Forest

Management Plan which is the area within the Regional Forest Agreement boundary within the area to which the Forest Management Plan applies (see Map 5 of the Forest Management Plan). Forest-related encompasses the seven criteria for sustainability as described in the Forest Management Plan:

biodiversity;

productive capacity;

ecosystem health and vitality;

soil and water;

global carbon cycles;

natural and cultural heritage; and

socio-economic. Public involvement activities

Activities that seek personal interaction with individuals and groups considering issues in planning and management and partaking in activities to address those issues (also called community involvement).

Public education Programs that involve establishing learning programs for special interest groups with defined outcomes embraced as a ‘contract’ between the learning facilitator and the learner or their representative. Also called community education and includes but is not the exclusive domain of ‘schools programs’. It can also include ‘interpretation programs’ for visitors to sites and attractions where the focus is on conveying values.

Public awareness

Providing basic factual information, usually a one-way communication to attract attention and pass on information about an issue to the general public. Also called public information, publicity, promotion, or public relations.

Extension programs

A communication strategy embracing professional liaison with specific individuals and groups. Advisory services are usually of a technical nature and consultation often involves a fee-for-service.

Table 1: Community involvement programs (forest-related) and number of people involved

over annual reporting periods. 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total Communication

field P C P C P C P C P C P C Programs People Public involvement activities

Public education

Awareness

Extension programs

Total

P = Number of programs provided C = Community involvement (number of people)


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30. KPI 30 - Develop and maintain human resource skills across relevant disciplines

30.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to plan implementation is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to ensure that forest management is undertaken in accordance with the plan and is continually improved so as to achieve best practice: (Forest Management Plan p61) Forest Management Plan extract (page 65) Key performance indicator 30 Develop and maintain human resource skills across relevant

disciplines. Performance measure The extent to which the Department demonstrates the capacity

and commitment to develop and maintain the essential skills of staff.

Performance target(s) Persons responsible for undertaking key tasks on average meet 80 per cent of the competency requirements for key tasks indicated in the environmental management system.

Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Department and the Forest Products Commission to

investigate the cause and report to the Conservation Commission and in the case of the Department, to the Minister for the Environment.

The objective in relation to developing and maintaining human resource skills across relevant disciplines is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to generate and transfer knowledge and develop the necessary skills and competencies in staff of the Department and staff and contractors of the Forest Products Commission, with a view to leading to improvements in forest management: (Forest Management Plan p64) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 38.1 The Department will develop and implement research programs, in cooperation with the

Conservation Commission, including the research referred to in Actions 9.1 and 9.2. 38.2 The Department and the Forest Products Commission will take reasonable and practicable

steps to: 38.2.1 identify the skills required to competently undertake the key tasks referred to in

Action; 38.2.2 review the skills and competency levels of persons responsible for undertaking

those tasks; and 38.2.3 initiate training and other programs to increase skill and competency levels where

they are deficient. 30.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 30 30.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 30 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets by examining the extent to which the Department and Forest Products Last updated: 1 March 2007 Effective from: 6 December 2011 Custodian: Manager, Forest Policy and Practices Branch Approved by: Director, Sustainable Forest Management Division 162 of 180

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Commission demonstrate the capacity and commitment to develop and maintain the essential skills of staff. 30.2.2. Rationale Data gathered from this KPI will assist the Department and Forest Products Commission to develop appropriate training programs to enhance skills acquisition for staff so that the objectives of the Forest Management Plan can be more effectively achieved. 30.2.3. Background and context Full and effective implementation of many of the actions identified in the Forest Management Plan will require improvement in knowledge and understanding in relation to the range of forest values and systems for implementation of the plan. In order to implement management strategies effectively, the workforce should be appropriately skilled. Formal skills development through training is one element of establishing competence. However, acknowledgement of other sources of skills development through experience and education is important. 30.2.4. Issues The performance target for this KPI (average of 80 per cent staff competency) is based on the expected completion of a fully accredited Environmental Management System. KPI 32 of the Forest Management Plan includes the development of a Departmental Environmental Management System. This protocol is an interim measure for KPI 30 in order to address the objectives of the Forest Management Plan for initial reporting periods, in the absence of an accredited Environmental Management System in the Department. The protocol for measuring this KPI will be reviewed after the Environmental Management System is developed. It is necessary to develop criteria to allow measurement of competence for particular tasks. 30.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Expenditure on staff training and development related to implementation of the plan.

No target

Competency of staff Staff responsible for undertaking key tasks on average meet 80 per cent of the competency requirements for key tasks.


Required data Collection & storage method Custodians Number of full time equivalent staff for each financial year related to implementation of the plan.

Data collected and stored by Workforce Systems Analyst.

People Services Branch, DEC. Forest Products Commission

Data collected and stored by the Co-coordinator of Organisational Learning and Development.

People Services Branch, DEC. Total expenditure on training and development across the department for each financial year related to implementation



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of the plan. People Services Branch, DEC. Data collected by relevant staff

and supervisors and forwarded to Co-coordinator of Organisational Learning and Development.

Yearly competency measure for all staff related to implementation of the plan (see work instructions below).



Entity to be measured Calculation method Expenditure on training and development.

Sum of DEC expenditure on training and development related to implementation of the plan. Sum of FPC expenditure on training and development related to implementation of the plan.

Expenditure on training and development per Full Time Equivalent employee.

Total expenditure by DEC and FPC respectively on training and development divided by the total number of Full Time Equivalent positions to provide average expenditure per person related to implementation of the plan.

Mean level of competency for staff.

Calculate the mean competency for all staff related to implementation of the plan in completing the key tasks identified in their job descriptions over annual reporting periods. Internal competency validation to be conducted by peers or supervisors according to electronic assessment tool (to be developed). For more information on competency evaluation see work instructions below.




Expenditure Yearly Calculated according to budget figures at close of financial year.

Competency Yearly Calculated at the end of each reporting period for the Forest Management Plan.


Metric Presentation Expenditure ($) A line graph demonstrating total expenditure by DEC and FPC

respectively on training and development related to implementation of the plan and the mean expenditure for Full Time Equivalent positions over reporting periods. Text to explain the data and analyse trends.

Competency (%) A line graph to demonstrate the percentage of staff achieving competency requirements for key tasks related to implementation of the plan according to job description forms. Text to describe the data and analyse the success of training and development programs.


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2004 2006 2008 2010 2012

Time (years)

Ex

pe

nd

itu

re

Total expenditure ontraining anddevelopment ofhuman resourceskills

Expenditure ontraining anddevelopment ofhuman resourceskills per employee

* Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate predicted progression Figure 1. DEC's expenditure on staff training and development and trainee programs related

to implementation of the plan over reporting periods for each financial year.

0

10

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40

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60

70

80

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2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Time (years)

Co

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eten

cy (

%)

* Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate predicted progression

Figure 2. Competency of staff in relation to key tasks for implementation of the Forest

Management Plan.


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30.2.10. Responsibility Staff involved in the implementation of the Forest Management Plan are responsible for conducting internal competency validation with peers or supervisors annually. Organisational Learning and Development Section of People Services Branch, DEC, is responsible for coordinating information related to DEC in terms of:


data collation;


draft text describing and interpreting trends; and

forwarding data to Forest Policy and Practices Branch for annual reporting. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating information for this KPI together with other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. FPC is responsible for coordinating information related to FPC in terms of:


data collation;


text describing and interpreting trends; and

collation of information for this KPI together with other KPI that require reporting by FPC into a report to the Conservation Commission.

The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report. 30.2.11. Work Instructions Staff Competency Pilot This assessment process has been designed as an interim measure to meet the requirements of the Forest Management Plan until a comprehensive system for evaluating competency is undertaken by the Department. The process is based on the performance criteria used in assessing for Units of Competence (UoC) in order to align the process with national standards. *Note: This is a monitoring process and it will not provide staff with any UoC accreditation. Competency assessment process:

1. Identify core business areas for staff involved in the implementation of the Forest Management Plan.

2. Determine individual UoC’s that are relevant to the core business of staff involved in the implementation of the Forest Management Plan (see list 1 below).

3. Develop assessment tools that measure performance against elements of competence / performance criteria for the relevant UoC’s. For DEC, assessment tools to be developed by Forest Policy and Practices Branch (PPB) and Organisational Learning and Development in co-ordination with qualified trainers/assessors.


167

4. Select a sample group of staff involved in the implementation of the Forest Management Plan (as an indicator group) to test competency in completing key tasks. For DEC, the sample size and type of jobs assessed is decided by FPPB and Organisational Learning and Development.

5. Staff to conduct self-assessment on competency using self-assessment tool.

6. Manager / supervisor or peer to undertake independent assessment of selected staff member to identify gaps.

7. Establish levels of competency and present results as an interim performance measure to address part requirement of KPI 30 of the Forest Management Plan.

List l. List of Units of Competency from DEC training package that could be used to establish

performance standards in undertaking key tasks for staff within the Department.* Protect places of cultural significance Collect and preserve biological samples Monitor projects in a program Lead work teams Read and interpret maps Produce maps for land management purposes Recognise plants * This list is not comprehensive at this stage. It is likely that other Units of Competency is drawn from training packages such as Forest Industries, Outdoor Recreation and others yet to be determined.


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31. KPI 31 - Development of scientific understanding of ecosystem characteristics and functions

31.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to plan implementation is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to ensure that forest management is undertaken in accordance with the plan and is continually improved so as to achieve best practice: (Forest Management Plan p61) Forest Management Plan extract (page 65) Key performance indicator 31 Development of scientific understanding of ecosystem

characteristics and functions. Performance measure Expenditures on research and development related to

ecologically sustainable forest management; Person years of scientific research, by ecosystem or disciplinary area of study, in the field of ecologically sustainable forest management; and/or Number of peer-reviewed articles published annually on ecologically sustainable forest management.

Performance target(s) No target. Reporting Annually. Response to report The Conservation Commission to review the scientific effort in

forests in relation to the total Departmental effort and discuss priorities with the Department.

The objective in relation to knowledge is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to generate and transfer knowledge and develop the necessary skills and competencies in staff of the Department and staff and contractors of the Forest Products Commission, with a view to leading to improvements in forest management: (Forest Management Plan p64) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 38.1 The Department will develop and implement research programs, in cooperation with the

Conservation Commission, including the research referred to in Actions 9.1 and 9.2. The objective in relation to developing scientific understanding of ecosystem characteristics and functions is: The plan proposes the following Actions at the whole of forest scale for the purpose of seeking to develop an improved understanding of the biodiversity of forest regions and the response of forest ecosystems to natural and human induced disturbance, with a view to improving forest management practices: (Forest Management Plan p29) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 9.1 The Department will undertake biological surveys, which is:

9.1.1 of priority areas determined in consultation with the Conservation Commission; and 9.1.2 used, where appropriate, to assist in evaluating the extent to which biodiversity is

being conserved and the need for any review of the reserve system. 9.2 The Department will:


169

9.2.1 continue to monitor the effect of disturbance from timber harvesting on fauna and flora in the Kingston study3 area;

9.2.2 implement the species, community and process monitoring program, FORESTCHECK;

9.2.3 conduct a monitoring trial using a specific species sampling approach and review the comparative effectiveness of this and the monitoring protocol adopted for FORESTCHECK since its inception in 2001; and

9.2.4 maintain a research program on ecologically sustainable forest management which is prepared in a manner that has regard to advice from the Conservation Commission’s Research Advisory Committee.

31.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 31 31.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 31 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan through monitoring the development of scientific understanding in relation to sustainable forest management. 31.2.2. Rationale Full and effective implementation of many of the actions identified in the new forest management plan will require improvement in knowledge and understanding of southwest forests. This KPI will assist in monitoring the progress and development of scientific research needed to improve this knowledge. 31.2.3. Background and context The annual Output Purchaser Provider process includes an agreement between Sustainable Forest Management Division and Science Division for each financial year on the expenditure on scientific research in the area of forest management. Included in the Output Purchaser Provider documentation is an attachment that details expenditure to the project level. Output Purchaser Provider documents between Science Division and Nature Conservation Division will need to be scrutinized to ensure all projects related to sustainable forest management are included. Science Division produces an Annual Research Activity Report that contains a list of publications for the financial year that includes publications relating to sustainable forest management. This information is made available on the Science Division internet website. Forest Management Branch and Forest Policy and Practices Branch may also be involved in research projects, or contract research and development projects to consultants or universities. 31.2.4. Issues Data is not as readily available for the number of person years committed to scientific research but information can be gathered using Full Time Equivalent allocations to projects. All research and development related to sustainable forest management needs to be captured under this KPI and this includes any research funded by the Department, whether undertaken by Department staff, consultants or universities, and whether funded by Sustainable Forest Management Division, Nature Conservation Division or Parks and Visitor Services. 31.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target


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Expenditure on research and development related to sustainable forest management. Person-years of scientific research, by ecosystems and disciplinary area of study, in the field of sustainable forest management. Publication of peer reviewed articles relevant to sustainable forest management.

No target


Required data Collection & storage method Custodians Total expenditure on scientific research undertaken in the field of sustainable forest management.

Expenditure on research projects is collected by Science Division and stored in the Sustainable Forest Management Output Purchaser Provider documentation with Science Division. This has an attachment that details expenditure to project level. Expenditure through Nature Conservation Division, Parks and Visitor Services, Forest Management Branch and Forest Policy and Practices Branch will also be collated.

Total number of person-years of scientific research devoted to each disciplinary area of study in the field of sustainable forest management.

Sustainable Forest Management Division, Science Division, Nature Conservation Division and Parks and Visitor Services.

Collected from Full Time Equivalent allocations to projects.

Total number of peer reviewed articles published in the field of sustainable forest management for each reporting period

Science Division produces an Annual Research Activity Report that contains a list of publications for the financial year. Research publications resulting from non Science Division research related to sustainable forest management funded by the Department.

31.2.7. Calculation method Entity to be measured Calculation method Expenditure The figure of total expenditure to include money spent directly on

research and other associated costs as detailed in the Sustainable Forest Management and other Output Purchaser Provider documents with Science Division. Total expenditure on non Science Division research related to sustainable forest management funded by the Department.

Person-years Science Division to refine list of research projects related to the field of sustainable forest management into specific disciplinary area of study. The total number of person-years of research to be calculated annually from Full Time Equivalent allocations to projects. Science Division to undertake same process for non Science Division research related to sustainable forest management funded by the Department.

Publications Science Division to refine list of published peer reviewed articles from Annual Research Activity Report to a list of articles directly related to


171

the field of sustainable forest management. Science Division to undertake same process for non Science Division research related to sustainable forest management funded by the Department.


172


Required metric Measurement frequency Calculation frequency Expenditure (dollars) Person years (years)

Annually prior to the end of the financial year.

Annually prior to the end of the financial year. Publications (number)


Metric Presentation Expenditure (dollars) Person years (years) Publications (number)

Total number of published articles, person-years of scientific research dedicated and expenditure to be presented in a table (table 1) and figures (figure 1 and 2), by ecosystem and disciplinary area of study, in the field of sustainable forest management for annual reporting periods.

Table 1: Total number of published articles, person-years of scientific research and

expenditure by disciplinary area of study in the field of sustainable forest management for the financial year of 2003/2004.

Ecosystem Disciplinary area of study Articles published

Person-years dedicated

Expenditure

Jarrah Biological Diversity Productivity Ecosystem health and vitality Soil and water Natural and cultural heritage Socio economic benefits Karri Biological Diversity Productivity Ecosystem health and vitality Soil and water Natural and cultural heritage Socio economic benefits Other Biological Diversity Productivity Ecosystem health and vitality Soil and water Natural and cultural heritage Socio economic benefits

Biological Diversity Productivity

Total

Ecosystem health and vitality Soil and water Natural and cultural heritage Socio economic benefits

Total


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2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Time (financial years)

Ex

pe

nd

itu

re (

$)

* Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate data presentation

Figure 1. Expenditure on scientific research in the field of sustainable forest management

over annual reporting periods

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Time

Eff

ort Published articles

Person years

* Arbitrary figures have been used to demonstrate data presentation

Figure 2. Number of published articles and person-years of scientific research in the field of

sustainable forest management over annual reporting periods.


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31.2.10. Responsibility Science Division is responsible for:


data collation;


draft text describing and interpreting trends. Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for collating information for this KPI together with other KPI into a report to the Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report.


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32. KPI 32 - Environmental management system 32.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to plan implementation is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to ensure that forest management is undertaken in accordance with the plan and is continually improved so as to achieve best practice: (Forest Management Plan p61) Forest Management Plan extract (page 65) Key performance indicator 32 Environmental management system. Performance measure Development of a Departmental environmental management

system (EMS) to a standard suitable for accreditation. Performance target(s) EMS developed by December 2005. Reporting December 2005. Response to target shortfall The Department to report to the Conservation Commission and to

the Minister for the Environment on measures it proposes to complete the task and the completion date.

The objective in relation to management and performance standards is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to provide for continuous improvement in management and performance standards: (Forest Management Plan p63) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 36.1 The Department will develop and maintain an environmental management system for forest

management, which is to be independently accredited as conforming to AS/NZS ISO 14001.

36.2 (Plantations): The Forest Products Commission will maintain an environmental

management system independently accredited as conforming to AS/NZS ISO 14001. 32.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 32 32.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 32 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan by providing information on the development of an Environmental Management System (EMS). 32.2.2. Rationale A fully accredited and formal EMS will assist in determining the effectiveness of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan’s objectives and strategies in relation to planning, implementation, monitoring and any amendments due to adaptive management. 32.2.3. Background and context A formal EMS provides a standard, systematic framework for management activities that facilitate a precautionary approach to adaptive management. The most widely accepted standard for an EMS is that of the AS/NZS ISO 14000 series.



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The core component of an EMS is the analysis of all management activities to identify environmental aspects that arise in the course of those activities and then to rate them for their significance with respect to risk to the environment. An aspect is an element of an organisations activities, products or services that can interact with the environment. A significant aspect is one that can have a significant environmental impact. The aspect rating process achieves the requirement of the precautionary approach to be guided by a careful evaluation to avoid, wherever practicable, serious or irreversible damage to the environment. The EMS then requires controls on operations to ameliorate the risk of adverse environmental impacts followed by monitoring, performance assessment and review of the effectiveness of those controls. An effective EMS provides a strong framework for a precautionary approach to management incorporating adaptive management. The precautionary principle requires an assessment of the risk-weighted consequences of various options. A formal risk management system is a systematic way of identifying risks, evaluating their significance and identifying options to ameliorate them to acceptable levels. Management can then weigh up the implications and make informed decisions. An EMS for native forest harvesting and regeneration operations in Western Australia has been developed and is being implemented by the Forest Products Commission. Certification was achieved during 2001. Action 36.1 requires the Department to develop an EMS to cover its operations and responsibilities in respect of forest management. 32.2.4. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Status of development of EMS. EMS developed by December 2005.


Required data Custodians Status of development of EMS. Forest Policy and Practices Branch.




Status of development of EMS.

Annual until EMS is implemented

Annual until EMS is implemented


Metric Presentation Status of development of EMS. Description of status of development of EMS.

32.2.8. Responsibility Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for reporting on the status of development and implementation of an EMS. The Conservation Commission is responsible for performance assessment and the publication of its report.

33. KPI 33 - Operational control 33.1. Background information from the Forest Management Plan The overall objective of the Forest Management Plan in relation to plan implementation is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to ensure that forest management is undertaken in accordance with the plan and is continually improved so as to achieve best practice: (Forest Management Plan p61) Forest Management Plan extract (page 66) Key performance indicator 33 Operational control. Performance measure The extent to which guidance documents have been

prepared/reviewed and management modified to improve ecologically sustainable forest management.

Performance target(s) All guidance documents referred to in the Actions proposed by the plan to be prepared/reviewed by mid-term.

Reporting Annually. Response to target shortfall The Department to investigate the cause and report to the


The objective in relation to review is: The plan proposes the following Actions for the purpose of seeking to ensure that the plan Actions, policies and guidelines maintain their currency (Forest Management Plan p62) Most relevant Forest Management Plan actions: 34.1 The Department and the Conservation Commission will:

34.1.1 develop or maintain a comprehensive suite of operational guidance documents (see Appendix 1);

34.1.2 evaluate the results from research, monitoring, audits and trialling of adaptive management practices to determine whether the plan, or guidelines and policies referred to in the plan, should be amended;

34.1.3 amend the plan if required according to the CALM and EP Acts; 34.1.4 initiate an independent expert review of silvicultural practices and their impacts on

biodiversity during the second half of the life of the plan. The review will have regard to the results from FORESTCHECK and other research monitoring, audits, and adaptive management trials of these practices;

34.1.5 adopt the same processes for consultation, advice and approval for amending policies and guidelines as described earlier in the plan to develop or review them; and

34.1.6 take action that is reasonable and practicable to address problems identified in management systems.

33.2. Protocol for Key Performance Indicator 33 33.2.1. Objective of the KPI The objective of KPI 33 is to assess the success of the implementation of the Forest Management Plan in achieving its targets by ensuring that guidance documents maintain their currency.


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33.2.2. Rationale The regular review and updating of guidance documents is an important part of a management system aimed at delivering best practice. KPI 33 will assist this process by monitoring the progressive development and review of key subsidiary guidelines with the continued improvement of knowledge in forest management practices. 33.2.3. Background and context Implementation of the plan by the Department and other agencies occurs within the guiding framework of policies, instructions, codes of practice and management guidelines. Action plans and operational prescriptions, developed by these bodies, make up the detailed works programs necessary to implement the strategies proposed in the plan, and meet the standard or outcome set. The Plan proposes a large number of actions aimed at improving practice and developing new information. This information needs to feed back into operational practice through review of existing guidelines and development of new guidelines. 33.2.4. Issues The key subsidiary management guideline documents to the Forest Management Plan are detailed in Appendix 1 of the plan. Guidance documents to be prepared / reviewed is primarily, but not exclusively drawn from this list. Other documents will also be prepared / reviewed and is included in measurement for the reporting of this KPI. 33.2.5. The entities to be measured for the KPI

Entity Target Guidance documents All guidance documents referred to in the Actions proposed by the plan

to be prepared / reviewed by mid-term. 33.2.6. Required data

Required data

Collection & storage method

Custodians

Number of guidance documents prepared and reviewed annually.

All guidance documents prepared and reviewed to be recorded as and when completed by relevant custodians.

Custodians according to the subject of the guidance documents may include Forest Policy and Practices Branch, Forest Management Branch, Fire Management Services Branch, Nature Conservation Division, Conservation Commission and Forest Products Commission.

33.2.7. Calculation method Entity to be measured Calculation method Number of guidance documents prepared and reviewed annually.

Guidance documents prepared or reviewed each year to be listed at reporting date. Performance measure is assessed mid-term. Forest Policy and Practices Branch to provide a list of guidance documents specifically referred to in the actions of the Forest Management Plan that have been prepared / reviewed to assess performance target for KPI.


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Number of guidance documents prepared and reviewed.

Annually Annually, performance measure assessed at mid-term.


Required metric Presentation Number of guidance documents prepared. Number of guidance documents reviewed.

Information is presented as a list with all documents progressed after each reporting period. Data will also be presented in tables (see table 1 and 2) to demonstrate progression towards mid-term performance target for the KPI. Table will include title of guidance document and the date prepared and reviewed. * The guidance documents included in the tables below have been taken from Appendix 1 of the Forest Management Plan.

Table 1: Preparation and review of guidelines referred to in the actions proposed in the Plan.

Proposed guideline Date prepared

Date reviewed

Guidelines for the Management of Informal Reserves Status: To be prepared by the Department in accordance with Action 3.1.2.

Guidelines for Selection and Management of Fauna Habitat Zones Status: To be prepared by the Department in accordance with Action 7.2.2.

Goals for Understorey Structural Diversity Status: To be prepared by the Department in accordance with Action 4.1.

Fauna Distribution Information System Status: To be prepared by the Forest Products Commission in accordance with Action 8.4.

Native Forest Timber Harvest Planning Guidelines Status: To be prepared by the Department by 31 December 2008 in accordance with Action 34.1.1

Soil and Water Conservation Guidelines Status: To be prepared by the Department in accordance with Action 20.1.2.

Guidelines for the rehabilitation of plantation areas to be returned to native vegetation Status: To be prepared by the Department in accordance with Action 15.4.2.

Forest Monitoring Guidelines Status: To be prepared by the Department by 31 December 2005 in accordance with Action 34.1.1. Key Performance Indicator Protocols Status: To be prepared by the Department in accordance with Action 32.6.

Guidelines for the preparation of area management plans for conservation reserves Status: To be prepared by the Conservation Commission in accordance with Action 5.2.

Indigenous Heritage Management Guidelines in accordance with action 25.2 Non-indigenous Heritage Management Guidelines in accordance with action 25.2

Existing guideline Phytophthora cinnamomi and Disease Caused by it – Volume 1. Management Guidelines

Status: To be reviewed by the Department in accordance with Action 18.2.1. Jarrah Silviculture Guidelines Karri Silviculture Guidelines


Wandoo Silviculture Guidelines



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Table 2: Other guidelines prepared or reviewed as is considered necessary by the

Department. Proposed documents: Date

prepared Date reviewed

Existing Documents:

33.2.10. Responsibility Custodians of key guidance documents are responsible for:

preparing and reviewing relevant guidelines according to the plan’s action statements; and

providing Forest Policy and Practices Branch with details of the prepared / reviewed guideline prior to annual reporting.

Forest Policy and Practices Branch is responsible for:

data collation;




KPI 4 Sustainability Forest Management

Documents

Transcript of KPI 4 Sustainability Forest Management