Still Wild, Still Threatened
Blockade Today in Styx Valley.
MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday 20th November 2008
Forest Defenders Call for Native Forest Cable Logging Ban.
Blockade Today in Styx Valley.
20 forest defenders have occupied a logging coupe in the Styx Valley, with one perched atop cable logging machinery.
“Cable logging equipment allows forests on steep slopes to be logged. Many forests logged this way, such as the coupe occupied today, have previously escaped the destruction conducted by the industrial woodchipping industry,” said Still Wild Still Threatened spokeperson Christo Mills.
“Old growth forests bear the brunt of cable logging operations. The continuation of this destructive practice is impacting on the values of the precious remaining high conservation value areas of the Southern Forests,” Christo Mills said.
Cable logging operations are expanding in the Southern Forests, with the recent acquisition of new machinery and the movement of cable logging contractors from other areas into areas of the Huon and Derwent forests.
“This outdated technology, whose impacts on water runoff and biodiversity are largely unknown, should be moved out of native forest areas, or, at the very least, out of old growth and high conservation value forests,” Christo Mills said.
“Once again we ask the State and Federal Governments to take action to put the Tasmanian forestry industry on a sustainable footing. The removal of cable logging operations from native forests is one step that would move towards that goal,” Christo Mills said.
Footage available mid afternoon.
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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.
[email protected] www.myspace.com/stillwildstillthreatened
PO Box 295. South Hobart TAS 7004 New website coming soon!
