Sustainable forest management reporting in Australia

Criteria and indicators are used in a number of sectors to assess progress towards specified goals or targets. The adoption by the Australian Government of a modified set of Montreal Process criteria and indicators to report Australiaʹs progress towards sustainable forest management, at national and sub-national levels, has improved the ability to report comprehensively and consistently, on economic, environmental and social values. The establishment of Australiaʹs Montreal Process Implementation Group, with members from all States and Territories representing forest conservation, production, public and private forest management, provides a strong regional ownership and guidance of the framework. The adoption of the framework by State government agencies, involved in both production and conservation forests, for reporting sustainable forest management demonstrates the frameworkʹs relevance at national and sub-national levels. A major development was the implementation, for the first time, of Australiaʹs sustainable forest management reporting framework in Australiaʹs State of the Forest Report 2003. The implementation process revealed issues of relevance to indicators at national and regional levels, data availability, duplication, ambiguity and gaps between some indicators. A national review of the framework is underway to improve the reporting of progress towards sustainable forest management reporting in Australia.