FOREST AGREEMENT WELCOMED, ON GROUND ACTION NEEDED

 MEDIA RELEASE

20 October 2010 

Huon Valley Environment Centre and Still Wild Still Threatened whole heartedly welcome yesterday's historic agreement on forests and see it as a step in the right direction to begin the process of healing the conflict over forestry in Tasmania.

"There is now consensus between industry and environment groups over the importance of immediately protecting Tasmania's high conservation value forests. We need to protect our native heritage in the interests of all Tasmanians. This agreement accepts this," Still Wild Still Threatened's Ed Hill said.

"This is a positive first step. The real progress to finally end this decades old dispute will be made on the ground when high conservation value forests are put under an immediate moratorium leading to full legislated protection as National Parks and formal reserves," Still Wild Still Threatened Ed Hill said.

"Our organisations agree with Gunns Ltd regarding calls for an immediate moratorium on logging HCV forests," Huon Valley Environment Centre's Jenny Weber said.

For decades, Gunns Ltd was a driver of destruction in Tasmania's forests, but now they have stated that ending native forest logging is not only good for business and the economy but it is what their markets want. Communities all across Tasmania are concerned about the threat of logging to water catchments, threatened species and wilderness quality forests," Jenny Weber said

"Our organisations will continue to advocate for immediate protection of these forests and monitor logging operations in priority areas," Ed Hill said.

"We urge all levels of Government to immediately implement a moratorium on logging these forests, as advocated by ENGOs and the industry," Jenny Weber said.

Photo: Upper Florentine Valley. Rob Blakers