Private native forestry at Pine Ridge

Introduction

Norm Arkell runs beef cattle and Boer goats on his 420 ha property in Mendooran near Dubbo, in Central NSW. The property has been in Norm's family since 1978.

The family run a diversified operation with just over half the property managed under a Private Native Forestry plan (PNF plan) and the remainder grazed for beef cattle and Boer goats.

In the past, drought reduced the carrying capacity of Pine Ridge and the family were hand-feeding their stock for more than two years.

With the help of Local Land Services, Norm implemented a PNF plan to manage his private native forest. He was able to develop an additional income stream that helped pay for improved watering systems and fodder for his livestock, while improving forest health and reducing overcrowding.

Challenge

To increase the productivity of Pine Ridge in a sustainable manner so the property is better prepared for dry times. 

During a past drought event, the productivity at Pine Ridge was significantly affected, requiring de-stocking of their cattle and goats. Dams on the property were running low and the Arkells were handfeeding their remaining stock for two years.

The ongoing drought affected the health of the private native forest area which was exacerbated by overcrowding due to an absence of forest management. Competition for nutrient and water resources meant trees were of poorer quality for timber production.  

Some species were struggling from the continuing conditions, including a species of She-oaks (Allocasurina) used as a feed source for a colony of vulnerable Glossy-black-cockatoos known to frequent the property. 

Solution

Local Land Services supported Pine Ridge to gain approval for and utilise harvesting on the private native forest which covers almost half of their property. The PNF plan on Pine Ridge operates under the Cypress and Western Hardwood PNF Code. The timber, mainly Ironbark, is harvested for fencing, decking and firewood.

Through this process, good forest management was put into place, in part due to the strong relationship developed between the Arkells and harvesting contractor, Dan Clissold of Pilliga Natural Timbers.

Harvesting is done sustainably with the aim of improving the forest's long-term quality and health. At each event: 

• a low-intensity approach ensures a profitable amount of timber is removed but not overharvested
• younger or smaller trees are identified and retained for future harvests
• the thinning effect of the harvesting provides light and space for trees to grow to a viable size
• existing and potential habitat trees are marked and conserved. 

Outcomes

Using a PNF plan at Pine Ridge improved: 

• income streams and cash flow for Pine Ridge
• ongoing timber and jobs for Pilliga Natural Timbers
• health and growth of protected She-oaks at Pine Ridge. 

The income stream from the forest harvesting is very important to the overall viability of the property, helping fund fodder and extra water troughs during drought and other farm improvements in good years. The low-intensity approach to harvesting ensures harvesting and the income it provides is long-term.

Sustainable management of the private native forest will produce a regular harvesting event every 20-30 years. This provides an ongoing timber source for Tamworth-based company, Pilliga Natural Timbers and jobs for several of its employees during a two-to-three-week harvest period on Pine Ridge.

A section of the private native forest was excluded from harvesting because it had a high concentration of She-oaks (Allocasurina) which are a key feed source for Glossy-black Cockatoos. All She-oaks within the harvesting area were also retained as a requirement of the PNF Code. These She-oaks have been impacted by drought and overcrowding of the forest, however harvesting adjacent to these trees will not only encourage germination of new seedlings but will also promote the health and growth of the existing trees, providing ongoing food resources for the cockatoos. 

Ongoing work

The Arkells have worked with Local Land Services to help reverse some of the historical impacts of overgrazing including poor soil fertility and high acidity levels and have attended courses on livestock management methods like cell grazing. Further work supported by Local Land Services includes: 

• managing and integrating their forest and farming resources to become more profitable and sustainable
• succession planning and transferring ownership of PNF plan from one generation to the next. 

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Video transcript

Farm and forest management at Pine Ridge

[Music]
hello I'm norm Arkell we're in the
property Pine Ridge it's in the
meandering area we graze cattle and also
bore gates the property itself is about
1,000 acres or about 420 hectares over
half of it is given to private native
forests
[Music]
Integrated farm and forest management
the private native forest is very
important to us it gives us additional
income which is really great the benefit
is if something goes wrong with one of
the enterprises or one of the parts of
that enterprise you can look at the
other parts those other parts can give
you an income or generally do because
what affects the cattle doesn't
necessarily affect the gates doesn't
necessarily affect the private petty
foresters I want it to be a good
property which will continue for my sons
and their sons or daughters or whoever
takes over from me again sustainability
is a key word especially with this side
of the road and the other side of the
road where the private native forest is
[Music]
Ensuring ongoing viability
the private native forest has been
excellent in that it has given us extra
income so that we can use to feed the
cattle also help with purchasing more
troughs for water reticulation because
all the dams are starting to dry out
private lady forestry produces not just
an income stream for the land holder in
terms of the royalty for timber sold but
also provides a much broader range of
products for industry beyond the actual
farm gate which helps support our
regional communities and overall
construction in the state the forest
we're in is dominated by iron bark and
we're in the western part of the state
so the PMF codes applicable in this
particular instance is the code of
practice for cypress pine in western
hardwoods
[Music]
Sustainable forest management
the florist banishment in harvesting
should work hand in hand for the outcome
the forest is here for tomorrow the next
day and so on we don't really want to
turn up and have one shot of it it's not
an e-1 special-interest it's not for the
property owner myself needing resource
further on to keep my business
operational and also the health de
forest obviously this will be a
recruitment tree required to leave at
least sport of a hectare and habitats
and this year we'll run a recruitment
for the the P and F code here working on
Pine Ridge Normark hills places such it
it's great it's it's a tool that we use
here to to manage the health de Forest
but also manage to access a resource
that we can utilize and valuate PMF is
sort of an integral part because it
provides us with the income
it makes the property more viable and
sustainable
[Music]
Environmental stewardship
the forest is a very important part of
this property I want it to be ongoing
and sustainable right into the future
for my children and I'd like it to still
be here in another 100 200 years one of
the ways of doing that is to select a
contractor who not only teaches you
things but listens to what you have to
say and abides by the code of practice
for the private native forests
[Music]
Working with Local Land Services
the local LAN services have been
fantastic with the private native
forests that we have here if you had any
questions about it
or you were unsure about some things I'd
recommend going to see the local Land
Services private knotty forest is a
simple pathway for land holders it's as
simple as a phone call through the local
Land Services and will support you right
the way through to the approval stage
and beyond to help you achieve the best
forests minute nap time
[Music]
you