Forestry Tasmania Claims are Wrong

MEDIA RELEASE

17/5/09

OVER 50% OF UPPER FLORENTINE TALL EUCALYPT FORESTS THREATENED BY LOGGING

Still Wild Still Threatened are today calling on Premier Bartlett and Minister David Llewellyn, to instruct Forestry Tasmania to correct the public record and precisely state the extent of planned logging in tall eucalypt forests of the Upper Florentine.

Letters to the Premier and minister’s offices were sent yesterday requesting clarification of data on the Land Information System Tasmania (LIST) website that shows the area available for harvesting in the Upper Florentine is almost double what Forestry Tasmania claim.

“The release of maps and data, compiled from information on the LIST website, has proved clearly that the protected area of the Upper Florentine is significantly smaller than Forestry Tasmania claim it is. The data also shows that 53% of tall eucalypt forest is available for logging and 56% of old growth tall eucalypt forest is available for logging.” Said spokesperson Ed Hill.

“Forestry Tasmania is still denying the facts, that over half the tall forest in the catchment is readily available for wholesale destruction, and that large areas of land within the catchment are protected solely to boost protected land percentages as they are non forest of no commercial value to Forestry Tasmania.”

“Forestry Tasmania has confirmed that the data we are using from the LIST is the same data they are using, why then are they still sticking by their figure of 90%, when our data shows this is clearly not the case”

“The State government must instruct Forestry Tasmania to correct the public record and inform the public of the extent of their logging plans for this ancient wilderness forest.

Elected representatives have a responsibility to verify, with the appropriate maps and data from the L.I.S.T website, Forestry Tasmania’s claims.”

“If the figures that we have compiled from the data are correct as we believe, we request that the State Government corrects Forestry Tasmania’s figures.”

“Data we’ve compiled shows that only 5ha or 20 percent of the Eucalyptus regnans forest within the catchment is protected.

Eucalyptus regnans are the tallest flowering hardwood trees on the planet and a recent study undertaken by the ANU and published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has found that these trees are the best in the world at storing carbon.”

“Logging rotations of 30-80 years will never allow Eucalypts that were 400 years at the time of logging, to fully recover and store carbon to the levels it was prior to logging”

“This data and report show how Forestry Tasmania really values our carbon rich old growth forests, as nothing more than a barrier that stands in the way of their desire to establish plantation like regeneration forest.”

“Forestry Tasmania says that extra areas of forest will be protected as significant sites worthy of protection like karst formations, caves, giant trees and endangered species such as wedge tailed eagles are identified.”

“It is well known that the Upper Florentine valley is riddled with special features such as these, and it highlights Forestry Tasmania’s complete disregard for these features as they have done no ground surveying of the area for special values and intend to survey as they log the area.”

“One has to wonder why Forestry Tasmania wants to log an area with so many special features, and how many of these special features will they fail to see before the bulldozers destroy them.” Concluded Mr. Hill.

Forestry Tasmania called to account for misleading claims on Florentine Valley

Community group Still Wild Still Threatened (SWST) today released new data showing that Forestry Tasmania’s claim that 90% of the Upper Florentine catchment is “protected or otherwise unavailable for logging” is misleading.

50 people gathered at Forestry Tasmania headquarters to hear forest campaigners present new information disputing Forestry’s claims of protected land in the Upper Florentine.

Data compiled by forest campaigners from the Land Information System Tasmania reveal that 53% of the catchment’s commercially desirable tall wet eucalypt forests are still available for logging.

“Forestry Tasmania, the state government, federal MPs and even Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have all claimed that 90% of the Upper Florentine catchment is ‘protected or otherwise unavailable for logging’”, said SWST spokesperson Ed Hill.

“But to date – even despite repeated requests by the Derwent Valley community, a complaint to the Ombudsman and requests under Freedom of Information by a journalist from the Australian newspaper - Forestry has refused to provide any data or maps that verify its claims,” said Mr Hill.

“Now, maps and data compiled by forest campaigners shows that the area of the Upper Florentine catchment that is available for logging is nearly double what Forestry Tasmania has claimed.”

“What’s worse, 53% of tall wet eucalypt forest – the forest type that Forestry most wants to log - remains available for logging,” said Mr Hill. “56% of old growth tall eucalypt forest is available for logging”.

“Tasmania is world-renowned for its tall trees. But 80% of the Upper Florentine’s Eucalyptus regnans old growth forest, the tallest flowering plant species on the planet, is unprotected from logging.”

“If Forestry Tasmania is as transparent as they claim to be they would have released this data to the public. Instead they have left it up to volunteer forest campaigners to sift through data to see if Forestry’s claims are correct.”

“Forestry Tasmania has deliberately not released this data as it contradicts their claims that 90% of the catchment is unavailable for harvesting.”

“If logging in the Upper Florentine is sustainable and ecologically sensitive as Forestry claim, why do they make false and misleading claims to justify their operations?”

“Old growth and tall eucalypt forests not only have important biodiversity values, but are recognised as key carbon sinks. If we are to avoid dangerous climate change, we need to leave these big trees standing”, said Mr Hill.

Long time conservationist Geoff Law said that Forestry Tasmania’s logging plans would destroy the integrity of the entire Upper Florentine valley.

“The Upper Florentine valley will be gutted by Forestry Tasmania’s plans to destroy over 1,000 and as much as 2,000 hectares of old growth forest,” said Mr Law.

Vast Majority of Timber from the Upper Florentine Chipped

Conservationists from Still Wild Still Threatened are disputing Forestry Tasmania's claims that recently logged forest in the Upper Florentine was not harvested for wood chips.

"Forestry Tasmania claim that saw logs and veneer logs comprised 35% of timber harvested, however they have provided no documents to prove this. The fact remains that the vast majority of timber harvested in the area was wood chipped and exported." Said spokesperson Ed Hill.

"If Forestry Tasmania wants to increase their saw log yield they should stop sending saw logs to the wood chip mills. If you drive from Hobart to Triabunna you will overtake dozens of log trucks on their way to the wood chip mill, many carrying perfectly good saw logs." Said Mr.Hill

"The ancient forests of the Upper Florentine contain few good saw logs as most of the trees are old and hollow, that’s precisely why Forestry Tasmania wants to log the area, to rid it of ancient low grade trees and replace them with a young eucalypt forest resembling a plantation." Said Mr Hill.

“Many special species rainforest trees have been removed from the area and chipped. Species such as Celery Top Pine, Myrtle and Sassafras take centuries to reach harvestable size; current logging practices are wasting this unique resource. Future logging rotations in the area will never allow special species timber to reach productive ages.” Said Mr Hill.

"Forestry Tasmania has continually made claims about the Upper Florentine with no evidence or documents to back them up. If Forestry Tasmania is entering into a "new era of transparency" as they claim, then they need to start providing the public with maps and documents that prove their claims." Said Mr.Hill.

"If logging operations in the Upper Florentine were sustainable and sensitive to the ecological needs of the area then why do Forestry Tasmania constantly come up with outrageous and unsupported claims to prop up the environmentally criminal act, logging of old growth forest."

"Forestry Tasmania's supposed facts and figures are nothing more than smoke and mirrors to distract the public from the fact that they are logging old growth rainforests that in the 21st century in a first world country, should not be logged." Concluded Mr Hill.

Writ Regarding Old Growth in Pulp Mill Accepted, Seperated

Ruling On Triabunna 13 Strike Out Application

Justice David Porter this afternoon ruled that sections of the defence employed by the Triabunna 13 defendants are admissable in future proceedings. Justice Porter also ruled that the defendants have 14 days to provide further detail regarding the defence that immunity from sections of the writ should exist as the peaceful direct action conducted at the Triabunna woodchip mill was conducted in order to communicate on 'government and political' matters.

The counterclaim brought by the Triabunna 13 defendants, concerning Gunns' public statements that no ' old growth forests' and no 'old growth logs' will be used in its proposed pulp mill, was accepted as admissable, with this claim split off into seperate proceedings.

Gunns' repeated requests for costs to be awarded were ignored, with any costs rulings deferred to the conclusion of proceedings.

“ The Triabunna 13 defendants are pleased with today's decision, and will continue to fight Gunns' efforts to pursue responsible citizens who are standing up for Tasmania's forests and the planet's future. We are confident alterations to our defence, based on the right to freely communicate on political matters, can be made to the court's satisfaction,” Huon Valley Environment Centre spokesperson Warrick Jordan said.

“ The Triabunna 13 are particularly happy with the continuation of the claim against Gunns limited regarding their misleading statements that no old growth forests or logs will be used in their proposed pulp mill. We have grave concerns that old growth trees from our iconic southern forests, such as the Weld and Upper Florentine, will be used to supply the pulp mill, and that Gunns', and others in the forestry industry, are misleading the public, and potential investors,” Warrick Jordan said.

“ After the climate change action at Triabunna earlier this month, Gunns ruled out pursuing activists through civil claims,” said Huon Valley Environment Centre spokesperson Warrick Jordan.

“Gunns have obviously realised that such legal actions are bad for the company's image, and that they are useless, as activists will not be intimidated from taking strong, peaceful action in defense of ancient forests and the planet's future. We are surprised that Gunns' are continuing with what is shaping up as another long running and embarrassing court battle,” Warrick Jordan said.

Decision On Triabunna 13 Strike Out Application Today

Media Alert - Thursday, 11th June 2009

13 forest activists sued over the December 2008 climate change action at Gunns’ Triabunna

woodchip mill.

Justice David Porter ruling on Gunns' application to strike out counterclaim and defense.

The original hearing was on the 25.02.2009.

Where: Supreme Court, Salamanca Place, 2.15pm.

The Triabunna 13's defense is based on a right to communicate on government and political matters. Gunns' are suing partly as the action was undertaken to 'publicise the political beliefs' of the defendents. Gunns are seeking damages, punitive damages, and injunctions to prevent further actions. The defendant's counterclaim is based on Gunns' public statements that no ' old growth forests'

and no 'old growth logs' will be used in its proposed pulp mill. The defendants are claiming that under sections 52 and 51a of the Trade Practices Act Gunns is engaging in 'deceptive and

misleading' conduct. The defendants are seeking an injunction to prevent Gunns from making future statements of the same nature.

“After the climate change action at Triabunna earlier this month, Gunns ruled out pursuing activists through civil claims,” said Huon Valley Environment Centre spokesperson Warrick Jordan. “Gunns have obviously realised that such legal actions are bad for the company's image, and that they are useless, as activists will not be intimidated from taking strong, peaceful action in defense of ancient forests and the planet's future,” Warrick Jordan said.

“I imagine that Gunns' are currently re-assessing the wisdom of targeting committed, peaceful,responsible citizens who will not be dissuaded from defending the environment, and who are willing to engage in court if necessary,” Warrick Jordan said.