Future of our Forests – consultation ends 31 March 2019
Posted on 16 March, 2019 by Ivan
The Victorian Government, in partnership with Traditional Owners, is embarking on a major program to reform our forest management and guide the modernisation of the Victorian Regional Forest Agreements. This is an important opportunity to influence the future management of our forests, both in our region and across the state.
Victoria’s public forests are valuable in their own right and important to the community. The connection that Victoria’s Traditional Owners and Aboriginal communities have with Country is core to their culture and wellbeing. Forests provide Victorian communities with a broad range of uses and values that include clean water and air, habitat trees, biodiversity conservation, recreation and connection with nature, and climate change mitigation and refuge.
This is your chance to have a say in the modernisation of Victoria’s Regional Forestry Agreements and forest management system. The aim is to develop a vision and strategy for a future-ready, responsive management system. Outcomes of the engagement will inform the strategic direction for future forest management in Victoria, negotiation of Regional Forest Agreements with the Commonwealth government, and reform of Victoria’s regulatory framework and forest management planning.
Engagement aims to focus on understanding how people value and use our forests, seek people’s views on a vision for future forest management, and include joint engagement with the Commonwealth government specifically focussed on Regional Forest Agreements. This will be supported by other activities including workshops, meetings, drop-in centres and listening posts at community events.
Click on the following link to access a survey to provide your views on how management of Victoria’s forests can be improved, and what you would like from forests into the future:
https://engage.vic.gov.au/future-of-our-forests
Public consultation via the survey closes at midnight on Sunday 31 March 2019.
Winter dawn at Strangways Forest (photo by Tanya Loos)
This is worth having a look at, marking on the map your favourite places and then describing what is so special about these favourite forested spots.
It is possible to read the comments of others and, if you chose, to answer a few follow on questions, which turns into a submission to the review of our forest management.
Quite interesting really and lovely exploring the maps. I was just surprised at the end that I was creating a possibly public document. The writer can choose whether to make the submission public or confidential.
Enjoy!
Well said Saide, it is a different approach and seems to have some merits and improved connectivity.