The Australian Forest Standard (AFS) refers to the defined forest area as follows:
An area of forest (including land and water) to which the requirements of the Standard are applied. It includes productive and non-productive forest areas, streamside reserves, conservation areas, and roads, etc. The defined forest area is described by survey plans, legal title(s), gazettal notices or GIS shapefiles, whether as freehold, joint venture, agreement, lease or crown land. The forest manager seeking certification to the Standard will need to demonstrate management control and legal rights over the forest operations in the defined forest area through appropriate agreements or contracts, which allows them to achieve all of the requirements. The forest manager is precluded from omitting elements of its operation which would otherwise be included in its defined forest area from the scope of its certification.
In and around some water-bodies outside PTPZ land, Forestry Tasmania has legal authority or agreements in place to collect and salvage floating and beached native softwood special timbers.
