A controlled burn is planned to occur in Kiwarrak State Forest on the Mid North Coast this week to improve habitat conditions for native wildlife.

The burn, which is dependent on weather conditions, is being staged by Forestry Corporation between Tuesday, August 1 and Friday, August 4.

Kiwarrak State Forest, near Taree, was heavily burnt in 2019 during the Black Summer bushfires.

Forestry Corporation Senior Field Ecologist Mark Drury said this biodiversity focussed burn aims to encourage grass regrowth and reduce the shrub layer that has grown in the forest following the bushfires.

“This will ensure the habitat maintains a healthy balance of grasses in the understory and also keeps wildlife, firefighters and adjoining property owners safe over the summer bushfire season,” Mr Drury said.

“Monitoring programs in Kiwarrak State Forest post the bushfires have indicated strong recovery in wildlife populations, including koalas, and this burn is a way of restoring the forest and minimising fuel loads now that the forest is starting to dry out.

“Burning under controlled conditions will ensure flame heights remain low, with a mosaic-style of burning to involve slow-moving fire and low-heat intensity. This will enable wildlife to safely move out of the path of the flames, which would not be the case in a fast-moving summer bushfire involving extreme heat,” he said.

Forestry Corporation is focussed on fire protection as a key way to protect wildlife populations.

“Intense wildfire like those that we saw in 2019 are a serious threat to koalas, so we are continuing to protect the forest through a range of work including fuel reduction and maintaining fire trails and infrastructure,” Mr Drury said.

This burn is part of a wildlife monitoring program that has been undertaken through a partnership between Forestry Corporation and Local Land Services (LLS).

Funding for this program is administered by LLS under the Australian Government’s koala conservation and protection program.

Kiwarrak State Forest is managed by Forestry Corporation for conservation, community access and sustainable timber production.

For more information about Forestry Corporation of NSW, visit forestrycorporation.com.au

Media contact: Matt Deans 0400066237