Angry protesters "gate-crashed" a community forum held by a state environment body last week, to rally against the draft River Red Gum Forests Investigation proposal.

About 60 members of the Barmah Cattlemen's Association, timber industries and men and women of the land, gathered outside the Shepparton Golf Club last Monday to express their concerns about the proposed development of a Barmah and Lower Goulburn National Park together with the Shepparton Regional Park.

Police were present to ensure the protesters led a peaceful meeting.

Rushworth resident Tracee Spiby said the protesters needed to do everything in their power to ensure the plan didn't go ahead and that country jobs and families were protected.

"It's your lives, it's your family so you all need to write letters to the politicians, come to these forums, act now and act hard, the ball is in your court," Mrs Spiby said.

The meeting was not an open public forum. Submissions were heard individually by Victorian Environmental Assessment Council staff and councillors.

A VEAC representative said such forums had worked successfully in the past as people could address concerns privately.

Many of the protesters expressed anger at the private meeting style forum.

Shepparton Field and Game member Jon Cers described the process as "disgusting", saying he was looking forward to an open forum while Timber Communities Australia state manger Scott Gentle accused the council of using a "divide and conquer theory".

"If they've got nothing to hide they should address the public," Mr Gentle said.

He said the meeting was to express the anger felt by many at VEAC's draft proposals paper.

"It's basically to show our disgust at the whole process and the contempt they've shown us," Mr Gentle said.

Shepparton Field and Game spokesperson Dennis Patterson said a lot of people did not realise the extent of the repercussions should the report be accepted by the Victorian Government.

"One thing I cannot understand is they're claiming it will increase tourism, however, the whole idea is to restrict people," Mr Patterson said.