Management Decision Classification: A system for zoning land managed by Forestry Tasmania

The Management Decision Classification (MDC) is a land classification system used by Forestry Tasmania in the management of 1.5 million hectares of State forest. Under the system, land is divided into three Primary Zones (Production, Conditional and Protection) according to its availability for wood production. Where appropriate, one or more of 18 Special Management Zones (SMZs) can be defined to reflect additional management requirements for special values and uses. These SMZs can include, for example, areas of high flora or fauna values such as threatened species habitat. The MDC system was developed to protect special values where they are known to occur, and to modify operations where necessary to minimise the impact on non-wood values while still producing forest products. The system offers significant opportunities for the successful management of conservation values. The MDC zones are stored on a geographic information system which enables integration with other planning systems.