Courier Sun: Bellingen Shire Council June meeting Forestry motion

Photo from Courier Sun

"Five per cent of Bellingen Shire’s forests could be clear-felled and almost 20 per cent subjected to a doubling in harvest intensity if new logging regulations go ahead, councillors were told at this morning’s meeting.

These estimates, based on mapping analysis, were put forward by Ashley Love from the Bellingen Environment Centre, who along with Kevin Evans, former CEO of the National Parks Association of NSW, addressed council about proposed changes to how the Forestry Corporation operates in the shire.

The mapping indicates that if the draft Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals remake document is approved, 45-hectare clear-felling would be allowed in forests such as Gladstone and Newry and there would be a doubling of logging intensity in forests like Pine Creek, Tuckers Nob, Never Never and Scotchmans.

Mr Evans, who lives in Gleniffer, said Forestry Corporation had lost its social licence and the Regional Forestry Agreements set up 20 years ago to stem loss of biodiversity, minimise community anxiety and give assurances to the timber industry had failed to achieve any of these things.

Read full article in Bellingen Courier Sun 

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