Private Forests Tasmania (PFT) is a Tasmanian Government funded authority established under the Private Forests Act 1994 to specifically promote and assist the private forest sector to sustainably manage native forests and encourage the expansion of plantations. The authority also has a commitment to foster the use and value of trees in land management.
As part of its responsibilities, PFT has been actively encouraging private landowners to consider more active management of trees on their land. This includes both existing native forest and planting additional areas. In all cases, an important initial step is the preparation of a property forest management plan to first describe existing forested areas, and secondly, evaluate options consistent with the landowner's objectives and resources.
Native forest management issues often involve managing for weed control, considering thinning to improve stand growth, and hygiene and fencing to better manage both stock and native browsing animals.