When discussing forestry in Tasmania it’s important to understand the true perspective of our industry. (Logging dialled back, The Advocate, 5 February). 

The reality is Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) manage 812,000 hectares of land across the state. Of that, 683,000ha is in production forestry rotation and only about 5,000ha harvested in any year. 

Removing coupes from that 5,000ha just means that timber must be sourced from somewhere else. Our industry knows carving off small fragments of land can be death by 1000 cuts for our industry and the thousands of people across north-west Tasmania who rely on us. 

There is no doubt the Dial Ranges are special. It contains areas of protected forests as well as areas of production forestry. It is a beautiful place, and the locals are right to be proud of it. 

But the coupes in question are working forests that have been harvested before and resown to grow again – potentially many times. 

This cyclical process is why Tasmanian forestry remains a world leader in sustainable management and why our timber products are in demand all over the world. 

Nick Steel 
Tasmanian Forest Products Association