No green tick for Tasmania’s forestry practices

27 May 2010

Media Release

‘No green tick for Tasmania’s forestry practices’

Gunns’ Japanese customers announced base-level Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC) certification for woodchips sourced from a portion of
Tasmania’s production forests. FSC has not certified Tasmanian native
forests or forest products.
Huon Valley Environment Centre and Still Wild Still Threatened see
this as a step towards protecting Tasmania’s native forests and an
industry transition to one that has real sustainability.
“Gunns could only get a small proportion of its woodchips certified at
even the lower ‘controlled wood status’ standard of FSC.” Huon Valley
Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said.
Gunns’ customers have been allowed to mix non-FSC certified woodchips
from Gunns with their existing FSC certified woochip stock and still
retain the FSC brand. All the Gunns woodchips have had to come from
non-High Conservation Value forests as identified by Tasmanian
conservation groups. Jenny Weber said.

“The fact that two-thirds of Forestry Tasmanias proposed coupes could
not meet FSC’s most basic sustainability criteria is an indictment of
our old-style forestry practices. We are calling for immediate
protection for Tasmania’s high conservation value forests.” Still Wild
Still Threatened’s Ed Hill said.
“Forestry Tasmania must follow the Japanese customers’ lead and stop
it’s increasingly desperate attempts to sell off our high conservation
value forests.” Ed Hill said.

Ed Hill

Still Wild Still Threatened

Jenny Weber

Huon Valley Environment Centre

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.

Ed Hill Still Wild Still Threatened Jenny Weber Huon Valley Environment Centre