COMMERCIAL FORESTRY SERVICES
The Forest Products Commission offers commercial tree planting and environment management services, including climate change management solutions. Key customers include professional forestry investors, corporations seeking to offset carbon emissions, individual landowners (farmers) seeking to diversify income streams and improve landcare and watertable management, and State Government agencies aiming to achieve a carbon neutral position.
Professional forestry and corporate carbon investors
With world attention on the effects of climate change, professional investors are seeking investment opportunities that not only offer commercial returns from timber and land but which also includes the potential to trade in carbon credits and provide for much needed watertable and landcare benefits.
The FPC offers considerable skills and expertise in forestry investment and climate change / carbon sequestration management. Read on to learn more about our services in this area.
Government and community based partnerships
The establishment of trees in the landscape is a viable land management option capable of achieving environmental, social and economic benefits. Over the past decade, FPC (previously a division of Conservation and Land Management) has invested heavily in research and study of tree growth in relation to climatic and soil conditions and of the water requirements of trees.
The FPC has formed partnerships with Government agencies and the community via regional natural resource management (NRM) groups to establish and manage plantations integrated into the rural landscape. FPC is also an active partner in the Australian Low Rainfall Tree Improvement Group, a national research group developing tree species for low-rainfall plantations.
A major initiative is the $64 million joint Australian and Western Australian Governments funded Strategic Tree Farming (STF) Project under the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP). The project, the largest publicly funded tree planting project in Australia, focuses on the targeted establishment of trees (maritime pine, mixed eucalypts for sawlogs and sandalwood) in priority NRM catchments in the medium to low rainfall areas. The aim is to protect biodiversity, manage salinity and rising water tables and provide a resource to supply new and emerging timber based industries.
Land owners
Land owners are important partners in FPC’s tree planting projects and contribute to their strategic implementation.
In 2003 the FPC launched its infinitree™ brand to promote the concept of tree farming in lower rainfall areas and its environmental, social and economic benefits to farmers and the broader community. The Strategic Tree Farming (STF) Project (commencing 2005 and funded to 2008) reflects the principles of Infinitree in promoting the adoption and integration of trees into the agricultural landscape and diversifying on-farm land use and income.
The FPC’s current focus is the successful implementation of the current STF project whilst maintaining a strategic industry development and NRM based vision beyond 2008. Click here for more information.
Summary
In summary, the FPC offers a complete suite of investment services for land selection and evaluation, planning, establishment and management of plantations. Investment services include:
- scoping, modelling and planning of projects;
- advice on the purchasing of land and suitability for forestry and carbon sequestration;
- soil surveys;
- site assessment;
- establishment and ongoing management;
- fire control assistance;
- harvesting advice and execution; and
- plantation monitoring and reporting.
For more information about the FPC’s investment opportunities and services, call or visit our offices, or email info@fpc.wa.gov.au.
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