The Mason Hill section of Mannus State Forest, used by the Tumbarumba Mountain Bike Park, will be temporarily closed to the public.
A scheduled pine plantation thinning program starting on Monday, April 29 will last for around two months with completion anticipated around Friday, June 28.
Forestry Corporation's Snowy Region Harvesting and Roading Manager Campbell Sanderson said a mechanised harvesting crew will undertake the commercial thinning of pine forest stands to increase the future yield and production of sawlogs for the local timber industry.
"Thinning is standard practice across plantation sawlog producers in Australia. The selective removal of the lowest quality stems supports improved growth for the remaining, best form trees at clear-fell, as competition for sunlight, nutrients and water for the remaining, best trees reduces," Mr Sanderson said.
"Safety of our staff, contractors and the public is our highest priority and it is important to note that harvesting operations are high-risk activities where specialised heavy equipment, trucks and falling trees and limbs can all pose a risk to any unauthorised personnel accessing the site."
"For this reason, the area will be temporarily closed for the safety of workers, visitors and bike enthusiasts," he said.
Forestry Corporation has consulted with mountain bike clubs in the area and wishes to advise the wider public of the planned disruptions in the pine plantation.
"We understand that this temporary closure will affect forest users and we have worked hard to schedule operations outside the holiday season to reduce the impact on the community and local businesses," Mr Sanderson said.
"We would like to thank the community in advance for their understanding and cooperation and look forward to welcoming visitors back to the trails and Mannus State Forest once operations have been safely completed."
Harvest signage will be erected in the forest and all visitors and motorists should follow instructions to avoid danger.
