Dear Rita,
It comes down to interpreting the figures. I am sure your numbers are correct, but they have been cleverly concocted to deceive.
I am currently looking into the GBE, Private Forests Tasmania, which states that 49.5 percent of Tasmania is forested with two types of forest, Native (3,135,000ha) and Plantation (217,409ha).
The question is how many of these hectares of Native Forest are above the snowline, or part-buttongrass plains, inaccessible, or unsuitable for logging; hence placed by your side of the fence, in Reserves?
With your intimate knowledge of the subject, I am expecting an accurate answer.
I suggest that the majority of Protected Forest in Reserves is in fact scrub, unsuitable for logging, hence suitably protected to look good within your figures.
What is in dispute is the desirable wood-pulp producing forest visible on the slopes of Tasmania’s mountains, below the snowline and adjoining tourist roads.
THIS IS THE BATTLEGROUND.
Take the Ben Lomond region; a disaster area from the air. The Annual Report of the Forest Practices Authority notes that they have logged since 1996, 25 per cent of th existing threatened Inland E amygdalina forest and 20 per cent of the E Amygdalina Forest on sandstone. How can this be when its status is given as rare, threatened, and endangered?
Answer? It is saleable. Further it is given away by the forest authorities in Tasmania to closely allied timber giants.
I am currently researching Private Timber Reserve, an area which provides much ammunition for debate over the battleground.
And I look forward to your intelligent, articulate reply.
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