Which places in your local area do you see as special?

This question will be put to communities throughout the State’s Upper North East and Lower North East regions, at a series of workshops on forests and community heritage.

The workshops are part of comprehensive regional assessments of New South Wales forests for Regional Forest Agreements (RFAs) between the State and Commonwealth governments. The assessments will provide the information base for the RFAs, and involve wide ranging studies of the environment and heritage values of forests, and their social and economic values.

Sandy Blair, who is coordinating the community heritage workshops from the Commonwealth’s Environment Australia, said the local community’s unique knowledge and experience of the area was central to the heritage assessments.

"Workshop participants (about 25 for each workshop) include representatives from community interest groups as well as individuals with a particular interest in or knowledge of the heritage values of the forests," Dr Blair said.

"We’re looking for forest places which may have special meaning to the local community. This could be for historical reasons - the remnants of an old saw mill, for example - or simply because it is a particular beauty spot or local landmark that you return to year after year.

"It’s only through getting together with the community itself that we can really find out the meaningful and significant places in an area. And they are not necessarily the same places that visitors to the region would seek out."

The workshops are being held in the following towns:

Upper North East -Lower North East

Dorrigo: Wed, May 6

Glen Innes: Thurs, May 7

Grafton: Fri, May 8

Tenterfield: Sat, May 9

Woodenbong: Mon, May 11

Murwillumbah: Tues, May 12

Lismore: Wed, May 13

Lower North-East

Kempsey: Thurs, May 7

Wauchope: Fri, May 8

Walcha: Sat, May 9

Taree: Mon, May 11

Dungog: Tues, May 12

Cessnock: Wed, May 13

The RFAs for the Upper North East and Lower North East regions are expected to be finalised at the end of the year.