Gasp!!! Why is our government doing this??? Media Release 21st November 2013 FOREST DESTRUCTION PLAN WILL GALVANISE COMMUNITY AGAINST LOGGING Conservation Groups have expressed outrage and frustration at today’s decision by WA Environment Minister Albert Jacob MLA to approve a 10-year native forest logging plan without any regulatory controls. The Forest Logging plan provides for a doubling of the area of Jarrah and Karri forest currently being logged in Western Australia’s Southwest – allowing the destruction of 2,000 square kilometers of native forest over the next decade. Conservation Council Director Piers Verstegen said “This shocking decision will galvanise conservation groups, activists and everyday people across the southwest to make sure this forest destruction plan is not implemented.” “If logging at the scale allowed under this plan were to take place it would be a death sentence for threatened wildlife, risking the extinction of WA’s official mammal emblem the Numbat, and the iconic Carnaby’s cockatoo “No other industry would be able to get away with destruction of critical habitat for threatened wildlife at this scale, but the logging industry is exempt from both State and Commonwealth Wildlife Conservation laws. “Conservation Groups, scientists, Aboriginal leaders and members of the community have used every available opportunity to tell the Government that increasing forest logging is a bad idea for the wildlife, for communities and for our climate, but this has had no impact at all on the governments logging plans. “The most appalling thing is that destroying our beautiful native forests delivers no profit to the state, and actually costs taxpayers millions of dollars per year in subsidies to the loss-making industry. Instead we could be earning millions of dollars in profit per year by protecting forests and selling carbon credits.” In the Challar Forest adjacent to the Walpole Wilderness Area, forest activists have successfully halted logging operations. Speaking from Challar Forest, WA Forest Alliance Spokesperson Jess Beckerling said “this decision confirms that the State Government is prepared to totally ignore the community, independent scientists and common sense when it comes to the future for our forests.” “This decision will mark a new wave of community involvement with forest protection. Community groups across the Southwest and in Perth are dedicated to preventing this forest destruction plan from going ahead, and have been developing a range of strategies to ensure that does not happen. “When Governments stop listening, people are willing to put their bodies on the line to stop the destruction of forests and prevent the extinction of endangered wildlife. That means direct action like we are seeing here in the Challar forest is going to be a big part of the picture. Fact File: The Logging Plan approved by Minister Jacob would allow logging of up to 2,000 square Kilometers, doubling the area being destroyed by logging. Carbon dating has shown that ancient 600-year old giant Karri trees are being logged for woodchips Independent studies show that we could be earning tens of millions of dollars in carbon credits if we stopped logging forest but the state government has refused to acknowledge this The native forest logging industry is exempt from State and Commonwealth laws that protect wildlife and is the primary cause of habitat destruction for endangered wildlife. Native Forest Logging is subsidised by taxpayers, The Forest Products Commission has reported a $20.7 million pre-tax loss on its native forest logging operations for 2012 - 2013 (see p 124 of FPCs Annual Report 2012 – 2013) Pictures and footage of the Challar forest protest are available from the WA Forest Alliance. Comment: Piers Verstegen – Conservation Council of WA – 0411 557 892 Jess Beckerling – WA Forest Alliance – 0488 777 592 CCWA Telephone: (08) 9420 7266 City West Lotteries House 2 Delhi Street West Perth, WA 6005
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 08:32:16 +0000
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