20.1.2009 FLORENTINE ACTIVISTS ASK FORESTRY TASMANIA - "WHERE ARE THE MAPS?"

FLORENTINE ACTIVISTS ASK FORESTRY TASMANIA - "WHERE ARE THE MAPS?"

Forest activists have today delivered a formal request for information and maps regarding Forestry Tasmania's current and  planned operations in the Upper Florentine.

"Forestry Tasmania claims that 90% of the  Upper
Florentine is protected. Conservationists have repeatedly requested
clear maps and figures to support this assertion, and these have not
been forthcoming" Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson and
Triabunna 13 defendant Christo Mills said.

"Forestry Tasmania
have previously proclaimed that they have entered into a new era of
transparency. If this is true, then they should disclose this
information to the Tasmanian public. And if they do not have the
appropriate evidence, an explanation should be provided to the
Tasmanian public as to why these claims have been made" Christo Mills
said.

Still Wild Still Threatened has requested further information, including:

•  the total cost of current and planned operations in the Upper Florentine;
•  the projected income to the Tasmanian public from those operations;
•  the expected number of direct full time jobs resulting from those operations and;
•  the proportion of commercially harvestable forests, such as tall eucalypt and   

rainforest, which is unavailable for harvesting.

"Once
again, Forestry Tasmania's public statements are far from convincing.
While their bulldozers and axe whackers are destroying the World
Heritage valued ancient forests of the Upper Florentine, their woefully
inadequate response to public concern is to endlessly repeat facts with
no opportunity for assessment of their veracity, " Christo Mills said.

For comment, contact: Christo Mills 0428 333 445
Letter to Bob Gordon attached.
High resolution aerial images and broadcast quality footage of this morning's forest action available.

--
Still Wild
Still Threatened is a grassroots community organisation campaigning for
the immediate protection of Tasmania's ancient forests and the creation
of an equitable and environmentally sustainable forestry industry in
Tasmania.

www.stillwildstillthreatened.org
stillwildstillthreatened@gmail.com    www.myspace.com/stillwildstillthreatened  
PO Box 295. South Hobart TAS 7004