Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 10 May 2024

Masked owl new findings renews call for ending native forest logging in Tasmania’s forests

Bob Brown Foundation has sent an urgent plea to Premier Rockliff to protect native forests after making significant findings in a proposed logging area north-west of Maydena of endangered masked owl territory.

“Endangered masked owls need Tasmania’s ancient forests to remain intact and Premier Rockliff is responsible for the ongoing loss of their habitat as he locks in ongoing native forest logging. We have recently made significant findings of masked owls in a threatened logging area in the Florentine Valley and urge the Premier to save our remaining native forests for the endangered species that rely on them. Our Foundation has embarked on a new era of scientific enquiry into the threatened forests of Tasmania focusing on the decline of masked owls due to logging. After our masked owl Federal Court win against the former Federal Environment Minister Ley secured a temporary reprieve for the owl’s habitat from MMG’s proposed takayna tailings dam that still has no approval to proceed we knew we had to defend the masked owls across the threatened forests of our island,” said Jenny Weber, Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager.

“We have gathered scientific evidence of a pair of masked owls in forests imminently threatened by logging in the Florentine Valley and are calling for the forest’s protection and immediate removal from the logging schedule. These forests are adjacent to the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, contiguous and intact, old wet eucalyptus forest with an ancient rainforest understory, they should not be on any plans for logging nor in the dangerous hands of Forestry Tasmania. The significance of our evidence is that the masked owl has been consistently recorded in this proposed logging coupe since September 2022, with frequent calls observed around dusk and dawn, suggesting the presence of a nest and/or roost site. Furthermore, masked owl were heard calling in this forest almost every survey night, which is extremely rare and underscores that this forest is an essential part of their territory that they can’t afford to lose,” said Jenny Weber.

“The masked owl is only one of many species pushed to extinction by Forestry Tasmania. We also have photographic evidence of the endangered Tasmanian devil and spotted-tailed quoll proving this forest is a critical habitat for endangered wildlife, not a logging site, and machines need to stay away from it,” said Jenny Weber.

“This proposed logging will remove a fragile remnant of wildlife-rich ancient forests in a landscape that has suffered the rampant destructive clear-felling carried out by Forestry Tasmania over decades. Endangered masked owls and many other species can’t survive the loss of more forests in this region and Premier Rockliff has the power to end the logging and protect the forests for the sake of masked owls, devils and quolls that are on the path to extinction,” said Jenny Weber.