Surveying

What you will need to take with you to survey in the field

Printed harvest plan and map (colour) from https://planportal.fcnsw.net/
Smart phone, tablet or GPS unit
Broad brimmed hat and sunnies, walking boots, binoculars
Bright orange plastic marking tape to mark significant trees
Bright pink plastic tape to mark active wombat burrows
Diameter tape measure to measure girth of trees to work out diameter at cut stump height. A girth of 1.4m at 30cms above the ground is the maximum allowable diameter for felling for most species.
Learn how to drop a pin and save it on Google maps to get six digit coordinates for features to report sightings. Or use Avenza maps and use the dropped pin feature. (free for three maps)

What to look for pre-logging

Signs that logging will commence soon includes roadworks on state forest roads leading into coups or building of new roads. If logging is to be started imminently, some trees and landmarks (like burrows) may be marked up such as spray painted with a H for habitat or R for retention indicating protection.

Surveying:

Document any threatened species, both flora and fauna in the survey area. You can find a list of threatened species that have previously been identified in the area that you are surveying by consulting Bionet. Document any other threatened species that you believe you come across, even if they are not listed as occurring in that area historically.

Flora
Download and print Flora (Southern Region) and Trees that Trigger Exclusion Zones in NSW State Forests to take into the field. Relevant to forests in southern NSW.
Compare lists of flora on iNaturalist or Bionet to get an idea of what occurs in an area and what you might find to trigger exclusion zones.

(Eastern Pygmy Possum)

Fauna
Download and print Fauna and Habitat Features that Trigger Exclusion Zones in NSW State Forests to take with you into the field. Relevant to forests across the entire state.
Compare lists of fauna on iNaturalist or Bionet to get an idea of what occurs in an area and what you might find to trigger exclusion zones.
Specific species and habitat features to look out for include:

Roosts and Nests of:
- Glossy black Cockatoo (all habitat trees of Glossy Black cockatoo also required for retention, look out for Casuarinas), Flame Robin, Scarlet Robin, Hooded Robin, Dusky Woodswallow, Swift Parrot, Square-tailed Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle triggers 50m exclusion zone, Emu nest 25m exclusion zone and Bush Stone Curlew nest triggers 100m exclusion zone
  
  (Stick nest of a White-bellied Sea-eagle)
  
  (Scarlet Robin)

(Swift Parrot)

(Glossy-black cockatoo)

Large Forest Owls (roost triggers 25m exclusion zone, nest 50m)
Turquoise Parrot, Gang-Gang Cockatoo, Little Lorikeet, Grey Crowned Babbler, Brown Treecreeper, Regent Honeyeater, Diamond Firetail, Speckled Warbler, Varied Sittella and Black-Chinned Honey-eater (25m exclusion zone)

(Gang-Gang Cockatoo)

Wombat Burrows (more information about how to mark up a wombat hollow for protection here, record on WomSAT too)
Spotted Tailed Quoll Dens maternal den 12ha, triggers 12ha exclusion zone.
Spotted Tailed Quolls latrine site (three scats within 1.5m) triggers 12ha exclusion zone.
Giant trees (over 140cm diameter or 160cm for Alpine Ash) must be protected

Hollow-bearing trees: 8 per hectare must be retained. Check to see that good habitat trees have been chosen for retention, and that they contain hollows.

Feed trees: all Yellow-bellied Glider sap feed trees must be retained, plus 15 trees in immediate vicinity of the feed tree
Glider (Greater and Yellow-bellied) den trees trigger 50m exclusion zones
5 or 10 koala browse trees per hectare in certain regions.
Assess wildlife retention clumps (5% of base net area) and tree retention clumps (meant to be 5% marked out just prior to logging) proposed by FCNSW in the harvest plan. Have the big old trees and best habitat been retained for wildlife?
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage features- if find evidence of a cultural site such as a scar tree, record and report to the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System and EPA.
Identify neighbours with property adjacent to the proposed logging area. Letterbox drop these properties or contact them and request that they engage with Forestry Corporation to seek buffer zones along the boundaries of their land.

Post-logging Surveying

See what FCNSW cleared, check if any key habitat trees (hollow bearing, trees with nests, giant trees) have been felled.
Measure circumference of stumps of big trees at 30cms above ground level to ascertain if Giants trees have been felled i.e. circumference greater than 1.4m or 1.6m if an Alpine Ash.
Record any sightings of species that trigger an exclusion zone or are threatened seen in the area post logging.

Make sure that FCNSW have not breached buffer zones (for threatened species, burrows, dens or nests) required as part of CIFOAs and seen on harvest plan map. Look at any additional operating conditions to the CIFOA if they are implemented in the coupe/compartment you are surveying.
Areas that should be excluded from harvesting include;
- 10m from bushwalking and mountain-bike trails
- Riparian zones (drainage lines, creeks, streams, rivers)

Rocky outcrops

Rainforest

Heath and shrubland
Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs)
Steep slopes over 27 degrees

Check for debris pile height left behind. It cannot be over 1m high at base of habitat and recruitment trees.

Check for any pollution- petrol, oil, chemicals, littering (pollution key EPA issue)

Check for badly made logging roads that will lead to erosion. (Erosion key EPA issue - take footage and log areas that have been eroded or creeks with high sediment load after rain in the compartment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_C33RFfZsk

Preparing to make your report

Write up any notes regarding what you saw during your survey that may be relevant to harvesting operations. Connect/attach photos of breaches and sightings as required. Make sure they are either marked on a map with a pin with GPS coordinates or that you have a timestamp app that provides this information. Also register your flora and fauna findings through iNaturalist. EPA prefers to receive timely information rather than waiting for a detailed report. Try to submit findings soon after surveying.

Private Native Forestry reporting

Logging on private land is regulated and controlled by different mechanisms than native forest logging on public land. Go here to find out more about codes of practice and how to make a complaint against a private native forestry operator if you believe them to be breaching codes.