More actions before we sell the sizzle

IT’S BEEN SAID THAT FORESTRY IS NEW ZEALAND’S BEST KEPT SECRET. We’re an environmentally sound industry that sucks up carbon from the atmosphere and stabilises erodible land, we create billions of dollars for the economy, we provide employment in the provinces and our products make beautiful buildings that can withstand major earthquakes.

But not a lot of New Zealanders know that. Or if they do, they don’t appreciate it.

That’s partly because our reputation is tarnished by the poor safety record and all the negative publicity that goes with it. And then there’s the silt and slash that ends up in rivers when harvesting jobs aren’t done right. Plus the negative feedback regarding clear-felled sites that scar the landscape.

It’s a fact that the news media tends to focus on negative things. As we know, when things go wrong in forestry they go wrong in a very bad way, resulting in dramatic headlines and stark photos or footage.

No wonder the public has a poor perception of forestry.

This fact was bemoaned by many speakers at last month’s New Zealand Institute of Forestry annual conference. To a man – and woman – they called for a charm offensive and PR campaign to sing forestry’s praises.

They are right. To a certain extent. But what we need more is actions that speak louder than words.

We do have a good story to tell, but it can be so much better if we all put more effort into righting some of the wrongs in our industry.

Yes, we are trying desperately hard to make the bush a safer place to work. But we can do better.

Yes, we are trying hard to prevent silt, slash and whole logs ending up in waterways. Again, we can do better.

Yes, we’re also trying to manage our harvesting better to prevent clearfelled landscapes looking like rural war zones. We can still do a lot better.

Only then can we truly stand behind a publicity programme that reflects forestry as the great industry it yearns to be recognised as.

NZL