Timber iQ October - November 2017 // Issue: 34 | Page 6

NEWS FSA releases environmental guidelines Forestry South Africa (FSA) has released the third version of its popular Environmental Management Guidelines for Commercial Forestry Plantations in South Africa. The updated environmental guidelines are designed to reduce negative impact through the application of the law and best management practices. U nlike previous iterations, this version of FSA guidelines is in electronic format and can be found on the FSA website at: www.forestry.co.za. The objective is to provide updated guidelines on the management of plantation forestry to minimise the impact of operations on the physical environment. The document is simply presented and each chapter includes a general description of the subject matter to inform readers of the most critical issues. A statement of intent describes what a forester should aim for and highlights several measures that can be applied to achieve the desired outcome. The guidelines are designed to reduce negative impact through the application of the law and best management practices that should result in: • Minimised impact on stream flow through the removal of alien and invasive species from wetland buffer zones and adjoining rivers; • Reduced impact on biodiversity through the retention or establishment of natural vegetation corridors between timber compartments; and 4 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2017 // • Reduced impact on soil from harvested compartments and roads. The guidelines also deal with conservation measures in unplanted areas, the use of fire to maintain biodiversity as well as the legal requirements for firebreaks. Other topics include integrated pest management, the best silvicultural and harvesting methods, road construction and management, non-timber products and the management of staff housing. Legal requirements concerning all activities are included along with a brief discussion of forest and forest product certification. For more information, contact the editorial committee: John Scotcher | ForestLore [email protected] Roger Godsmark | Forestry South Africa [email protected]