FOREST PRACTICES CODE PART FOUR FOREST ROADS AND FIRE TRAILS February 1999 Final(4 January 1999 Version 8.0) FPC4V11.DOC Version 8.0 1 06/05/05 Published by: State Forests of New South Wales 2/423 Pennant Hills Road, Pennant Hills Postal Address: Locked Bag 23, Pennant Hills, NSW 2125, Australia Internet Contact: www.forest.nsw.gov.au Copyright © 1999 by State Forests NSW ISBN 0 7310 9104 3 STATE FORESTS OF NSW FPC4V11.DOC Version 8.0 2 06/05/05 STATE FORESTS OF NSW ENVIRONMENT POLICY STATEMENT (July 1996) State Forests NSW is committed to sustainable forest management while supplying products and services to meet customer expectations and achieve a commercial return. We will manage all our activities in an environmental, socially and economically responsible manner so as to meet public expectations for maintenance of timber, biodiversity, water, soil, cultural, and other values. We are continually seeking improvements in our environmental performance. To meet our policy, State Forests will: ♦ communicate and consult effectively and constructively with the community, regulators and customers and develop partnerships for cooperative forest management at the strategic level ♦ protect and maintain healthy and productive forests to provide enhanced community benefits in perpetuity ♦ conserve biodiversity, heritage and cultural values in our native forests ♦ adopt environmentally sensitive land management practices for commercial plantations ♦ ensure all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements are met ♦ ensure that management strategies and operational procedures, including Codes of Practice, facilitate the recognition, mitigation and monitoring of the impact of our activities on the environment ♦ motivate and educate our employees and all those associated with State Forests to fulfil our environmental responsibilities ♦ encourage and assist our suppliers, contractors and other forest users to comply with our environmental standards ♦ identify and, where appropriate, adopt best practice in sustainable forest management ♦ be a progressive, adaptive organisation through active research and responding to changing scientific knowledge, public expectations and economic conditions ♦ develop and implement efficient energy use and waste management measures in all our activities ♦ develop an environmental management system incorporating an audit program, to internationally accepted standards. FPC4V11.DOC Version 8.0 3 06/05/05 STATE FORESTS OF NSW GOOD NEIGHBOUR POLICY STATEMENT (January 1997) State Forests NSW and its people will: ♦ be recognised in our communities as environmentally responsible, professional managers ♦ develop and maintain excellent relationships with our neighbours ♦ be recognised as a good corporate citizen ♦ work with and gain the confidence and support of neighbours in managing the community’s forests ♦ understand our neighbours and their needs and nurture their trust and respect ♦ actively engage and involve our neighbours in management of the community’s forests To achieve this we will: ♦ communicate and consult with our neighbours ♦ seek every opportunity to explain and interpret State Forests’ management practices ♦ provide detailed information about proposed activities or works in progress ♦ actively participate in community forums on issues relating to forests, forest management and community values ♦ be responsive to neighbours’ concerns and professionally conciliate any issues ♦ co-operate with neighbours to resolve concerns ♦ encourage and motivate our employees, forest user groups, interest groups, agents and licensees of State forests to develop a good neighbourly ethic. FPC4V11.DOC Version 8.0 4 06/05/05 CONTENTS STATE FORESTS OF NSW ENVIRONMENT POLICY STATEMENT (JULY 1996)..........................3 STATE FORESTS OF NSW GOOD NEIGHBOUR POLICY STATEMENT (JANUARY 1997) ..........3 CONTENTS.................................................................................................................................................3 PREFACE ....................................................................................................................................................3 SCOPE .........................................................................................................................................................3 1. LEGAL AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS........................................................................................3 2. USE OF FOREST ROADS AND TRAILS........................................................................................3 3. FOREST ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC ROAD SYSTEM ..................................................................3 4. SOIL PROTECTION AND POLLUTION CONTROL.....................................................................3 5. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, USE AND STORAGE OF DANGEROUS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS .....................................................................................................................3 6. PLANNING FOREST ROAD SYSTEMS.........................................................................................3 7. PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES AND THEIR .......................................................3 ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................................3 8. ROAD LOCATION, DESIGN AND SURVEY STANDARDS .......................................................3 9. ROAD CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS ........................................................................................3 10. FIRE TRAIL CONSTRUCTION AND USE.....................................................................................3 11. ROAD AND TRAIL CLOSURE AND REHABILITATION OPERATIONS..................................3 APPENDIX 1 - LEGISLATION.............................................................................................................3 APPENDIX 2 - AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS AND OTHER EXTERNAL STANDARDS, GUIDELINES AND CODES OF PRACTICE ............................................................................................3 APPENDIX 3 - CURRENT STATE FOREST POLICIES AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONS...................3 GLOSSARY.................................................................................................................................................3 GUIDELINES FOR SAFE & RESPONSIBLE RECREATIONAL VEHICLE USAGE ...........................3 FPC4V11.DOC Version 8.0 5 06/05/05 PREFACE Over the last eighty years State Forests NSW and its predecessor the Forestry Commission of NSW, has established a comprehensive road and fire trail network within State forests. During that time, State Forests took advantage of the latest road-building technology and equipment, as it became available, to build natural surface access roads for forestry purposes. In the 1960’s forest road building practices were first written into operations manuals. However, this is the first time that forest roads and fire trails in State forests have come under the rules of a comprehensive Code. State forest roads are being increasingly used for public access for recreation, tourism and rural commuting, although this was not necessarily the prime reason for their construction in the first place. The community now has an expectation that State Forests will maintain the forest road network as an important element of New South Wales’s rural transportation infrastructure. State Forests recognises this need and does, as far as possible, maintain the overall road network. However priority is given to those roads and trails that give access for currently active forest management for fire protection and maintenance of timber harvest operations. In this Code, State Forests recognises the need to upgrade the alignment standard of forest roads to meet modern vehicle requirements as well as the need to meet current environmental standards for soil, water and ecological protection. The Code especially recognises those conditions set out in the Pollution Control Licence held by State Forests for timber harvest operations in State that apply to timber haul roads. This Code therefore sets the standards to achieve these dual goals. In approving this Code, I urge all forest road and fire trail users to follow the basic rules of behaviour set out on the back cover of this Code. I also remind everyone that natural surface roads are not suited to high-speed travel. All vehicles travelling through State forests must be registered. Although no overall maximum speed limit for forest roads has been set, everyone should take every care to drive safely and well within the limits that the nature of these roads and the forest terrain impose. Finally, to all forest road users, there are times when these roads should not be used, that is: • when it is raining or the road surface is wet; • when fire danger conditions are high or extreme; • where it is indicated that local logging traffic and harvesting operations are active. Your cooperation in the sensible use of the access to your State forests is appreciated. BOB SMITH CHIEF EXECUTIVE FPC4V11.DOC Version 8.0 6 06/05/05 SCOPE National Principles • Each State will provide an appropriate system for the specification, control and accountability for forest practices relating to wood production activities. • The system will provide for code(s) of forest practice suitable for the State. • The purpose of the code(s) of forest practice related to wood production is to ensure that timber growing and timber