Forest Defenders Negotiate Stay on Oldgrowth Logging : Melbourne Indymedia

The logging of oldgrowth forests in the Upper Florentine Valley, Southern Tasmania has been temporarily halted. This has occurred as Tasmania's forests set to feature prominently in the upcoming federal election.

"Forest Defenders at Camp Florentine who have been blockading a proposed logging road for more than 6 months with 23 arrests, have negotiated for Forestry Tasmania to cease all roading and logging operations until the federal election" said Still Wild Still Threatened Campaign spokesperson Ula Majewski.

Ben Morrow said that "during the moratorium period no chainsaw or bulldozer will be heard in the World Heritage value forests of the Upper Florentine. But Camp Florentine activists, as part of the Still Wild Still Threatened campaign will continue to defend the high conservation value and oldgrowth forests of Southern Tasmania – for example, the Weld and Styx Valleys – whilst advocating for their formal protection."

The activists are calling on John Howard to deliver on his broken promise to protect Tasmania's oldgrowth forests. Camp Florentine supports a Labor platform based on the "further protection of identified Tasmanian high-conservation- value, old-growth forests, rainforests and other ecosystems " and invites Peter Garrett to visit the Upper Florentine to see first hand one of the areas that a Labor forest policy must protect. Camp Florentine encourages him to outline Labor's vision, using the $250m of funds already available for the transition of industry out of oldgrowth forests and the creation of a truly sustainable forestry industry for Tasmania.

Ula Majewski asserted "that in this age of dangerous climate change, with the accepted role of ancient forests as significant carbon sinks, it beggars belief that Tasmania's oldgrowth forests are still being clearfelled, burnt and woodchipped!"

"Since Camp Florentine was established in early November 2006 its existence has been validated by the Federal Court's Wielangta decision that found current logging practices were having an illegal impact on endangered species such as the Tasmanian Wedgetailed Eagle. The Upper Florentine is recognised habitat for endangered species and similar logging operations are proposed for the area" said Ben Morrow.

Camp Florentine will remain in place on the Gordon River Road in order to maintain the international profile of the Upper Florentine Valley whilst facilitating visits by Australian voters to this threatened pristine ecosystem. Forestry Tasmania have refused to lift a public exclusion zone over the area, despite the fact no work will be taking place, effectively locking the community out of the area.

"Tasmania's Southern Forests are still wild and still threatened by industrial logging on a massive scale. The high conservation value forests along the eastern boundary of the Tasmanian World Heritage Area , such as the Styx, Weld and Upper Florentine should be weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of all politicians and voters concerned for our national environment and the health of the planet" said Ben Morrow.