Saving the giants

By Kath Gannaway
VICFORESTS have announced a new “Giant Tree Protection Policy” which they say will protect any tree greater than four metres in diameter or 85 metres high in approved harvesting areas.
Michael Ryan, VicForests’ Forest Scientist said VicForests’ policy regarding ‘giant trees’ would also endeavour to protect trees which are greater than three metres in diameter.
“Trees of greater than three metres in diameter are more common both in reserves and other forest areas, however, protecting these trees will allow them to also grow into giant trees over time,” he said.
However, Healesville-based environment group My Environment say the announcement has come too little too late for much of the Central Highlands’ last iconic trees.
MyEnvironment Executive Director Sarah Rees said it has always been illegal to log big trees and that hundreds of rare, big trees had already been logged.
“My Environment have conducted research in many large tree valleys and found the consistent killing of giant trees in logged forests, either by logging burns, logging or exposure to elements,” Ms Rees claimed.
“Trees in the Central Highlands that exceed three metres in diameter are consistently old-growth trees and are not legally allowed to be burned, felled or damaged.”
She said in a recent coupe survey in Toolangi surveyors counted 16 trees exceeding three metres, dead from logging burns and that in another Toolangi coupe MyEnvironment had examined logged stumps exceeding three metres.
VicForests have cited an 85m Mountain Ash in forest near Toolangi as the first tree in the Central Highlands to be protected under the new policy, saying it is believed to be one of Victoria’s largest re-growth trees and had grown following fire in 1919.
“This tree will not be harvested and will also be protected by VicForests’ staff from the effects of timber harvesting operations,” Mr Ryan said.
“We recognise the importance of protecting these trees due to their ecological value as habitat, as well as their significant historical and aesthetic value.”
Mr Ryan said Vicforests now has a giant tree database which will be linked with the DSE’s database to give a better understanding of where giant trees are found and help protect them.