THE iconic Sugar Pine Walk will be torn down after it could not escape the devastation of this summer's bushfires.
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NSW Forestry Corporation's Snowy Region manager Dean Anderson said there was no option but to remove the sugar pine trees that could not be saved after the Bago State Forest was badly burnt.
"The site has sentimental value for many of us and we share this loss with the community," he said.
However, Mr Anderson said plans are underway to grow a new Sugar Pine Walk for future generations. He said staff were exploring ways to commemorate the loss of the forest.
Laurel Hill Forest Lodge owner Owen Fitzgerald said it was "devastating" to see the nearby attraction gone, but the community must move forward with a strong, positive outlook.
Mr Fitzgerald said he had high hopes that a new plantation could be grown for future tourism, however, he said it will take decades for the trees to reach full growth.
In the meantime, he said the Snowy Valleys community was determined to replace this loss with new tourism opportunities for visitors to appreciate.
"There is doom and gloom, but there is also enthusiasm for the future," he said.
"We cannot dwell on the past, we have to make good with what we have and make new attractions for this region."
Snowy Valleys mayor James Hayes said it was a "tragedy" to see the Sugar Pine Walk damaged, but the region offers tourists many reasons to visit.
"We hope people will still come to the area and look at the outer region, which is not the same, but still quite compelling when people get here," Cr Hayes said.
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He said he applauds the Forestry Corporation's great initiative of replanting the famous Sugar Pine Walk.
Cr Hayes said it will take time to grow, but the community will look forward to its return for the future generations.
The Sugar Pine Walk site is strictly closed to the public since the bushfires as the burnt standing timber is incredibly dangerous to forest visitors.
The Forestry Corporation will be working with mills and local contractors to salvage the bushfire-affected wood, with work starting from early June this year.
The organisation has also commissioned a photographer to capture the iconic destination as it stands.
It will also organise a photo competition where members of the community can submit their memories of the forest before it was impacted by the devastating Dunns Road bushfire.