The Wilderness Society Media Release

Government negotiations may see icon forests woodchipped

These are areas that have enormous tourism and recreation numbers, have had long-running campaigns for their protection (including many forest blockades) and have extremely high conservation values for old-growth, wilderness, threatened species or catchment values.

Below is a list of the icon forests under threat:

• BADJA - an area of extensive old-growth forest near Cooma, Badja has had around a dozen blockades in a long-running campaign to protect its dozen or so threatened species.
  Neither the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) nor State Forests (the Forestry Commission) are arguing for the protection of this area, including the biodiversity 'hot spot' of Balook Road.
• MONGA - one of best known and loved forests of the region, this forest is nothing short of spectacular. Its ancient Pinkwood rainforests - the closest rainforests to Canberra - are relics from the time of Gondwana when dinosaurs dominated the land, and may contain trees over five thousand years old. Giant old-growth makes this area another biodiversity 'hot spot'.
  Presently NPWS are arguing for its protection, but State Forests desperately want to log and woodchip these magnificent old-growth forests.
• GREATER DEUA - an area of outstanding wilderness quality in Dampier State Forest, it contains both the most extensive tall wet old-growth forests in the State and the most extensive rainforests in the region. Many blockades have been undertaken to protect this precious place.
  NPWS is arguing for part of this area, but facing strong resistance from State Forests, and neither agency is argui for the bulk of this magnificent area.
• GREATER MURRAMARANG - a large area of Kioloa State Forest is under dispute by State Forests, even though this area is vital to extend the small Murramarang National Park. Murramarang is the most heavily visited coastal National Park in NSW outside of the Sydney region, worth up to $40 million dollars to the local economy from tourism. The area also contains the highest biodiversity and the most threatened species of any forest in the region. The forests around Termeil and Meroo lakes - biodiversity and holiday 'hot spots' - are under threat as well.
• CROOBYAR - another past blockade area, contains some of the most special forests for biodiversity and old-growth protection and for tourism in the region.
• TALLAGANDA - a huge area of diverse old-growth types near Braidwood.
• DIGNAMS CREEK - a vital near-coastal forest adjacent to Mt Dromedary, containing the region's major Koala population.
• BIMBERAMALA - part of the upper Clyde Catchment, the only unmodified river left in NSW.
• WANDELLA - magnificent forests around Peak Alone, vital to supply water to the local community as well as containing many ecological values.
• CONJOLA LINK - a vital link between the magnificent Conjola coastal forests and the escarpment forests of Morton National Park.
• FLAT ROCK - a vital area next to the famous tourist destination Pigeon House Mountain.
• KIANGA - an important small patch of coastal forest near Narooma, an area with very little coastal environment remaining in a natural state.

Why is the Government considering legislation to guarantee intensive logging and woodchipping of these forests for the next 20 years? Because the logging industry is demanding a 235% increase in logging levels in the South Coast, an amount of timber and woodchips almost impossible to supply without logging these magnificent icon forests. If the government were to ban woodchipping from the region, and develop an industry growth plan using our existing plantations, then all these areas could easily be protected.

For further information

Contact : Andrew Wong / Virginia Young Phone : (02) 6249 6491
Email : campaign@wilderness.org.au
WWW : http://www.wilderness.org.au