PETITION OPPOSING LOGGING OF UPPER FLORENTINE TABLED

www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today tabled an e-petition containing 482 signatures from people opposed to the ongoing logging operations in the Upper Florentine Valley, as part of an ongoing petition campaign that dates back to March 2008.

Greens Member for Lyons, Tim Morris MP, called on Premier David Bartlett to acknowledge the legitimate opposition to the destruction of World Heritage-class forests in the Upper Florentine, and to end his cowardly refusal to meet the local residents and conservation groups who are intent on preserving these forests for the future.

Mr Morris also pointed out that the carbon-dense old growth forests of the Upper Florentine will be the focus of a Walk Against Warming event in December this year, and called on the Bartlett Government to give the planet an early Christmas present, and permanently remove the Florentine from Forestry Tasmania’s logging schedule.

“The Greens congratulate the signatories to this petition for their vision for the future, and call on Premier David Bartlett to start uniting instead of dividing, and agree to meet with the conservation groups who are fighting to prevent the clearfelling of their carbon-dense World Heritage-class forests.”

“The forests of the Upper Florentine are surrounded on three sides by World Heritage Area and are recognised for their own World Heritage values – it is nothing more than wanton vandalism to clearfell these forests during a massive downturn in demand for timber products,” said Mr Morris.
Tim Morris MP Greens Member for Lyons