Careful research in call to halt old-growth logging

Dr David Lindenmayer Canberra Times
THERE are many reasons to halt old-growth logging in Australia, including biodiversity conservation, the maintenance of water catchment values and carbon storage. A civilised nation that is concerned about its environment should not be cutting its limited remaining areas of old-growth forest. Old-growth logging has been halted in some parts of the native forest estate, such as in the wet ash forests of central Victoria. This should now be extended to the east Gippsland forests and the wet forests of Tasmania. There will be some social dislocation in embracing such a phase-out policy and structural adjustment packages must be implemented to ensure that this key reform is done in a socially just way. These important issues about the urgent need to stop old-growth logging are discussed in a new book, The Ten Commitments: Reshaping the Lucky Country’s Environment, that I co-edited with three colleagues. The book outlines the carefully considered opinions of more than 40 leading Australian scientists about ways to improve the nation’s environment. Read more here