The ACT Parks and Conservation Service is planting more than 650,000 pine seedlings across the ACT’s forests.
The seedlings will be planted predominantly in Kowen Forest through to early spring.
Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Mick Gentleman said the operation required a huge effort, with the seedlings planted over 550 hectares of land, particularly when each seedling was planted by hand.
“The professional planting crew we have engaged will plant, on average, around 15,000 seedlings per day, with each crew member planting approximately 1,000 seedlings per day,” Mr Gentleman said.
“We will have trained and skilled forestry staff monitoring the work to maintain the highest standards and quality.”
He said the plantings were being undertaken across areas that had been harvested in the past 12 months.
“Ensuring planting after harvesting is an investment not only in future timber production, but also in community infrastructure for recreation,” Mr Gentleman said.
“The ACT is renowned for having some of the best mountain bike trails in the country and many of these are through pine plantation areas.”
He said before planting at the Kowen Forest site, the ACT Parks and Conservation Service and local mountain bike track builders constructed 10 km of new trail, reinvigorating the iconic “Kowalski’s Beer Garden” descent trail with a new cross-country loop.
Mr Gentleman said it took 28 to 35 years for a Pinus radiata seedling to grow to maturity, and during this time several harvesting operations would be undertaken to thin the plantation and provide valuable timber resources to the local and regional timber industry.
“The ACT has had a proud history of forestry dating back to 1915,” the Minister said.
“Each year about 250ha are sustainably harvested and replanted.”
