The clock is ticking for our ancient forests!

November 18 2010

The Clock is Ticking For Our Ancient Forests

Tasmanian forest activists have painted a high-profile water tower on a major highway south of Hobart with the bold message 'The clock is ticking for our ancient forests!'. The painting is a call-out reminding the community that some of our most precious forests are still being destroyed, while they sit on the waiting line for protection.

Following a landmark agreement between the logging industry and major environmental NGOs, real protection for Tassie's High Conservation Forests (HCV) looks closer than ever. But today, across the island, priceless natural ecosystems, ancient old growth trees and habitat for endangered species are still being destroyed. Both industry and environmentalists have agreed to support a moratorium on the logging of HCV forests, leading to their eventual protection. But, to date, nothing has changed. Its business as usual in the bush. This means that iconic forests in the Weld Valley, Styx, Tarkine, North East and Far South are still being clearfelled and sent to the woodchipper.

In October this year, major logging industry and environmental groups signed a set of principles that chart a new future for Tasmania's logging industry. The Agreement includes a committment to protect identified HCV forests and phase out native forest logging. A moratorium on logging in HCV forests, to be implemented over three months, was included in the Agreement. But, as the weeks pass, no forests have been removed from the logging schedule and new roads are being cut into prime areas of untouched forest.

In October 2010, two conservation groups, The Huon Valley Environment Centre and Still Wild Still Threatened released "They're Still Falling", a report detailing the continued destruction of Tasmania's HCV forests, despite the new forest Agreement. Recent surveys by conservation volunteers in the Derwent and Huon Districts have revealed that large-scale industrial logging, including clearfelling of critical areas of high conservation value forest, continues, with new logging operations recently commencing in coupes with outstanding wilderness and other conservation values.You can download the report here:

http://www.stillwildstillthreatened.org/resources/they-are-still-falling...

Tasmania can't wait to have its forests protected

Forest activists are calling for an immediate moratorium on logging in the identified areas of HCV forest. It is crucial that these ares are protected from last-minute logging to maintain their ecological integrity. There are over 200 logging areas within the HCV forests scheduled for harvesting in the current Three Year Wood Production Plan. If these areas are logged, the value of new reserves will be severely diminished.

How you can help!

Write to Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard to tell them that the world can't wait to see Tasmania's precious forests get the protection they deserve.

David Bartlett feedback form: http://www.premier.tas.gov.au/contact

Julia Gillard feedback: http://www.pm.gov.au/PM_Connect/Email_your_PM