History, Cultural Heritage and the Regional Forest Assessment Process

Forest history was a relatively neglected area of study until the public land use planning instrumentalities and heritage conservation authorities reassessed the coverage of their registers and funded studies to fill the gaps in their data. Following the 1992 National Forest Policy, comprehensive regional assessments were required as the basis for Regional Forest Agreements. The assessments have been conducted so that a wider range of types of places have been included from a broader base of sources, including community groups. Cultural values are considered for Aboriginal places, historic places, and places of social and aesthetic value. The result is an increase in place data. This article examines the assessment process and the adequacy of the current approach to managing our cultural heritage in forests at a time of declining public resources.