Carbon count continues in Tasmania’s forests

GEMMA TILLACK, Wilderness Society MR
Volunteers measure Blue Tier forest carbon

The Wilderness Society’s community carbon-counting days continue tomorrow in the carbon rich forests of the Blue Tier in north-east Tasmania.

The Wilderness Society is holding these carbon-counting days to measure the amount of carbon stored in Tasmania’s unprotected public forests.

“The science is clear: the best way for Tasmania to contribute to the global fight against climate change is to protect our carbon-rich native forests as living carbon banks,” said Gemma Tillack, climate change and forest campaigner for The Wilderness Society

“Climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity and protecting the world’s natural forests is the quickest and cheapest way to reduce this threat.

Tasmania could lead the world with a nature-based climate change response.”

Under current carbon accounting rules in Australia, the native forest logging sector is not required to account for carbon pollution from the logging of native forests. There is also currently very little publicly available data on the amount of carbon stored in Tasmania’s unprotected public forests.

“A vital step in combating climate change is to find out how much carbon is actually stored in Tasmania’s unprotected public forests,” continued Ms Tillack. “Volunteers will help measure this carbon in the Blue Tier.”

Approximately forty people will spend the day gathering data in a coupe proposed for logging. They will record details including the type, age, height and diameter of trees, the diameter and level of decay of standing and fallen dead trees and branches, and the depth of leaf litter.

Volunteers from Victoria are also participating in the event, learning the scientific techniques and methodology to begin a similar process in the threatened forests of Victoria.

“We look forward to working with Climate Change Minister Lisa Singh and the Tasmanian Government to ensure that all carbon-polluting activities in Tasmania are accurately accounted for and that all Tasmanian families know about the vital role our forests play in protecting us from climate change,” concluded Ms Tillack.