The Wilderness Society is today urging forests minister David Llewellyn to instruct Forestry Tasmania to release important data relating to carbon storage in Tasmania’s native forests. The data relates to publicly funded studies conducted over many years in Tasmania’s public native forests and should be released in the public interest.
“The Tasmanian Government holds a huge amount of information relating to the carbon storage in Tasmania’s forests and the carbon dioxide emissions released on logging those forests,” said Vica Bayley, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society.
“This information should be publicly available, for independent analysis and scrutiny in the interest of sharing a greater understanding of the role forests play in combating climate change.”
“Scientists tell us that Tasmania has some of the most carbon rich forests in the world, yet Government policy permits these forests, including oldgrowth and rainforests, to be logged and burnt, contributing to climate change.”
A formal request for eight separate sets of data, including forest growth measurements, maps and emission/sequestration data, has been submitted to Forestry Tasmania under the Freedom of Information Act (1991).
“Tasmanian politicians, including Mr Llewellyn, have sided with the timber industry in making wild claims about the benefits of logging, ignoring the massive levels of carbon emissions released because of logging,” said Mr Bayley.
“Independent analysis of carbon data in Tasmania is needed to verify existing research showing the value of permanently protecting carbon stores by protecting native forests. This should then inform public policy and see native forests protected.”
“Political leaders must realise that any credible government policy that tackles climate change should move to protect native forests and shift the timber industry into existing plantations.”
“Protecting our forests is the biggest contribution Tasmania can make to the global fight against climate change,” concluded Mr Bayley.
Vica Bayley, Wilderness Society
