Eight of the district's 13 timber concessions are working with the Conservancy to improve their forest management by setting aside high conservation value forests, adopting reduced impact logging techniques, and tracking their timber.
There are hundreds of thousands of verified high conservation value forests that have not been protected through this process.
Evidence: More than 60 species of high conservation value plants are threatened nationwide because of competition with weeds.
From now on, it has pledged to work to preserve "high conservation value" and "high-carbon stock" forests.
"Bulldozers can now destroy vast areas of high conservation value bushland at any time with no questions asked, no permit required," Taylor said.
Olam has set aside more than 50% of its flagship concession as high conservation value forest, including protecting both chimpanzee and gorilla populations on site.
Despite concerns about deforestation and environmental impacts, there is plenty of room to continue expanding production in the region without encroaching into rainforests or high conservation value regions.
Starting this year, ADM will work with a third-party expert to map its soy supply chain against peatlands, high carbon stock forests and high conservation value areas.
Its purpose is to prod the industry into producing "sustainable" palm oil ie, certified as not having involved the destruction of areas of high conservation value.
Old growth forests in the Tarkine could be logged by private companies under plans being considered by the Tasmanian government to reverse a moratorium on harvesting 400,000ha of high conservation value forests.
FSC certification examines the forestry estate as a whole, and including high conservation value forests would require taking the process "back to square one", Bayley said, raising the prospect of a private company managing old-growth estates.
