World Heritage Area values threatened

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday, 9th April 2009

Forest Activists Expose Forest Destruction Adjacent to World Heritage Area, Release Crisis Report Internationally

This morning, forest activists have occupied forestry roading operations in old growth forest right next to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) in the Counsel area of the Upper Derwent valley, to the north of the Upper Florentine Valley, halting roading operations.

“Coupe CO2B in the Counsel contains spectacular examples of tall eucalypt forests. Last week  forest campaigners found a tree with a 17.5m girth. The area to be logged runs along the boundary of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and should be included in the protected area, not logged for woodchips” says Still Wild Still Threatened spokesperson, Natalie Keene.

Still Wild Still Threatened has authored a new report, “Threatened Forests of the Derwent Region: Crisis Report” to inform the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Heritage Committee of immediate threats. The report was produced in response to recently increased roading and logging in old growth forest adjacent to the TWWHA.

“We are seeing a large increase in roading operations close to the World Heritage Area. These operations appear designed to  compromise the conservation values of these forests,” said Natalie Keene

“Counsel coupe CO2B is a perfect example of previously untouched old growth forest that must be protected not logged. Forestry Tasmania appears to be undertaking a smash and grab raid on these wilderness forests. In the midst of a woodchip downturn, Forestry Tas. is  spending taxpayer's funds on trashing wilderness values so that it can ensure these areas will not be protected in the future ,” said Natalie Keene.

In July 2008, the World Heritage Committee reiterated their concerns calling for consideration of an extension to the World Heritage area in Southern Tasmania, while the IUCN officially requested an immediate moratorium of logging in Tasmania's Southern Forests. 

“The Federal and Tasmanian State Governments choose to ignore the World Heritage Committee's  calls for more of Southern Tasmania's old growth tall eucalypt forests to be included in the World Heritage Area. Instead they cite a previous  report whose recommendations were largely ignored in th decision making forum of the World Heritage Committee” said Natalie Keene.