AUSTRALIA — Effective collaboration across the timber industry and learning the lessons from past fire salvage efforts have been highlighted as key factors underpinning the success of the record salvage program in the Tumut and Tumbarumba regions following the Black Summer fires in a report commissioned by Forestry Corporation of NSW. Forestry Manager Peter Stiles said the report summarised the challenges, successes and lessons from the timber salvage program and was being shared with the industry to inform future fire recovery. “The Black Summer fires were devastating for the local community and the region’s softwood timber industry was severely impacted,” Mr Stiles said. “Industry was able to mobilise quickly and in numbers against the backdrop of the emerging Covid-19 pandemic to salvage a remarkable 2.7 million tonnes of timber in the two years following the fire. “This was the biggest ever salvage effort in this country’s history.”