Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 31 August 2024
Forestry Tasmania’s destruction on graphic display for first time ever
A new online tool, Forest Watch is the most comprehensive record of Tasmania’s native forest logging ever produced. Forestry Tasmania’s native forest logging is to be publicly paraded showing the devastation behind locked gates across Lutruwita / Tasmania.
“We are exposing the Rockliff government’s needless destruction of Tasmania’s public forests. Until native forest logging ends in Tasmania, Forest Watch will be tracking and revealing threatened, logged and burnt forests,” said Jenny Weber, Bob Brown Foundation’s Campaign Manager.
“Forest Watch is a tool for the public to discover Tasmania’s unseen forests, with countless conservation values. This new portal also links years of community-driven threatened species data to forests slated for future logging. Forest Watch is a transparent and open source, and we invite the community to contribute by reporting logging and providing photos of forests that are special to them,” said Jenny Weber.
“Our analysis shows that woodchipping is still the number one reason that Tasmania’s forests are being logged, which is an outrage. Forest Watch data comes straight from publicly available information. We have showcased every one of the 741 native forests targeted for logging with details of threatened species and photos of stunning forests and shocking logging practices,” said Jenny Weber.
Forest Watch:
• maps all the logging coupes on Forestry Tasmania’s three-year logging schedule;
• lists government data of threatened species recorded in the forests where available, often the threatened species are present but not recorded.
• details the timber use sourced from these contentious forests and gives the public the often-secret information about where it ends up such as in Sarawak for controversial logging companies Ta Ann or Patriarch & Sons.
• shows the carbon value of these forests and how each, if left standing, would significantly contribute to Tasmania’s efforts to combat climate change.
“Forest Watch breaks open the acronyms of Forestry Tasmania’s language and jargon associated with their numbering of forests, abbreviations of logging types and destructive methods,” said Jenny Weber.
“For far too long, Forestry Tasmania has relegated so many of our forests to a number, or acronym on a plan hidden behind locked gates out of sight to most people. Forest Watch will sweep aside these locked gates and allow people to see that these forests are beautiful, full of life and deserving of protection.”
“Tasmania claims to be a clean green state but has a darker global reputation for destroying the very assets that underpin this claim. Forest Watch is giving the facts and images of the true state of Tasmania’s native forest logging industry, which is responsible for flattening globally significant landscapes,” said Jenny Weber.
“Our peaceful defence of forests across Tasmania will also be documented, place by place – whether through frontline action, legal action, citizen science or providing photographic evidence of the government’s globally-embarrassing destruction,” said Jenny Weber.
Website: https://forestwatch.org.au/
Michael Lester
August 31, 2024 at 12:59
This is a bit disingenuous because the three year wood production plan is not being revealed by the BBF as it has been available on the Sustainable Timber Tasmania website since the beginning of July.
Beth Rooke
September 1, 2024 at 01:22
Bob Brown has done little more than wreck Tasmania’s economy in the name of nimbyism, not conservation.
Whilst he and his followers rely on resources from importing, young Tasmanians have been leaving the state in droves due to lack of employment opportunities.
Bob Brown should be held accountable.
Hermit
September 1, 2024 at 13:54
I agree. Well said!
Jenny Cambers-Smith
September 2, 2024 at 07:30
How extraordinary of you to say this!
Almost all our sawlogs have been imported for decades. Native timber yields between 3-5% sawlogs by volume. The rest goes to the few big woodchip exporters who employ very few, and make a vast amount of money at our expense.
In what other industry (apart from mining) does a company pay nothing for the resource, degrades the environment, and be propped up by government (all other taxpayers) to the tune of several dollars per year to do it.