Forest action outside Forestry Corporation Office ,Tues 21 March at 10 am

NO WAY RFA -WE HAVE A BETTER WAY

Local environmentalists are using 'International Day Of Forests' this Tuesday 21 March  to rally outside Coffs Harbour Forestry Office to call for an end to Regional Forest Agreements (RFA's) and are proposing a new approach to forest management.

Twelve months ago environmentalists also rallied  outside the Forest Corporation office  on International Day of Forests. Then the rally was to hammer home that the NSW Forestry Corporation had lost its social licence. It had lost the confidence of the community to manage public forests.

In the  the last twelve months things have only got worse said Ashley Love, Vice president of the North Coast Environment Council . We now have to delve deeper to address the root causes of the Forestry Corporation's problems he added.

The root causes are the over commitment by governments of timber to industry through the Regional Forest Agreements (RFA's)

The problem is occurring all round Australia and is coming to a head over the next two years with the end of the current 20 year RFA's. Examples of what is happening around Australia include:

-the Liberal Government in Tasmania legislating to open up 350,000 Ha. of conservation reserves to logging even though the industry does not want the timber or the conflict that will result.

- the major hardwood sawmill in Victoria is demanding three times the volume of timber available over the next ten years.

- continued logging of irreplacable old-growth forests in Western Australia.

On the North Coast of NSW we have had the NSW Government pay Boral Pty Ltd $8m to buy back "non-existent wood". The NSW Forest Corporation is seeking government approval for "virtual clear felling" of coastal forests and intensive mechanised harvesting of other forests to eek out more timber.

The latest trick for the NSW Forest Corporation is to seek fresh compensation for the protection of threatened ecological communities and core koala habitat it has legally been required to protect for twenty years.

It is open slather on our magnificent North Coast forests under the RFA's Mr Love said and it must stop .

The new approach to forest management on public lands advocated by environmentalists includes:

   - to value the forests for what they are really worth in all their potential,

   - to repair damaged forests and and improve their delivery of a range of services,and

   - to develop programs which allow us all to enter and enjoy the forests for what they offer and to grow and repair with them.  

Such an approach would focus on conserving forest biodiversity, catchments,carbon sequestration and ecotourism and health benefits of our forests.

Local environmentalists