A report by the National Parks Association of NSW says state Government body Forests NSW has logged almost 20,000ha of wetlands in the Riverina.

The logging of the state forests breached federal environmental protection laws, association spokeswoman Georgina Woods said yesterday.

The gums are listed under the international Ramsar convention, a treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

Ms Woods said, ''The NPA report shows that the logging clearly breaches the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 which prohibits activities that damage internationally important wetlands.

''We estimate that they may have logged as much as 19,780ha of internationally listed wetlands illegally since 2003 amounting to five football fields logged every day for the last five years.

''An estimated 7202ha of Ramsar wetlands and 1043ha of superb parrot-breeding habitat are being logged currently or are planned for logging in the next three months.''

NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald dismissed the report, saying only 3 per cent of the forests were being harvested.

''The river red gum state forests have been logged for nearly 100 years,'' he said.

''The harvesting that is being carried out is sustainable, and is being done in strict compliance with the Threatened Species Conservation Act.''

Mr Macdonald said the Government had not breached federal environmental law and had complied with the Ramsar treaty.

''Timber harvesting and grazing are permitted under Ramsar guidelines,'' he said.

''I have been advised the NSW Government is not in breach of the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.''

The association has given a copy of its report to the Federal Government, with the environmental group calling on it to step in and stop the logging.