Protecting Victoria’s Mountain Ash forests makes national news
Dear ,
For many years, we’ve been calling for the protection of Victoria’s majestic Mountain Ash forests and for a better future for struggling regional communities that have, for decades, relied on logging and coal mining for jobs.
The Great Forest National Park proposal enjoys considerable support in regional Victoria and in Melbourne—with more than 93% of Victorians wanting these forests protected for wildlife, recreation, tourism and a safe climate. It will also create 760 new, full-time jobs.
However, protection of these forests—and of animals that call these forests home, such as the critically endangered Fairy (Leadbeater's) Possum—requires a significant reduction in the scale of native forest logging.
For two years, we’ve been working with government, industry, unions and the local community to find a win-win solution for these forests and communities.
Over the past few weeks, the native forest sawmill in Heyfield, in the foothills of the Mountain Ash forests, announced that it faces closure because of declining supply of native forest wood. After decades of overlogging and the impact of bushfires, the Mountain Ash forests simply cannot continue to provide the volumes of wood industry is demanding.
Although the mill closure is a tragic short-term outcome for the local workers and the Heyfield community, it is also the opportunity to create the Great Forest National Park, protect iconic species such as the Leadbeater's Possum, finally transition the Victorian wood and fibre industries into plantations, reboot the local economy based on tourism and recreation, and to ensure the Victorian Government finds good, alternative jobs for the displaced workers.
Yours for nature,
Lyndon Schneiders
National Director, The Wilderness Society
Waiting in the wings
Right now, Daniel Andrews’ Government is making decisions about the future of the logging industry, and about protecting our public forests. Incredibly—and in the face of what the conservation science and wood resource projections say—industry players are still pressuring the government for business-as-usual logging.
The timing and size of the Great Forest National Park hangs in the balance. If you live in Victoria, call your MP today and ask for logging industry reform and new national parks within this term of government. And please share this article with your Victorian friends and family. Read more
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The final push for the Pilliga
Now is a critical moment in the campaign to protect the Pilliga forest. We need you to lodge a submission against Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project to help end CSG in NSW once and for all. The local community of the Pilliga has spearheaded the campaign against this project for years—now is the time for all Australians to stand with them in the final push for the Pilliga. Anyone can make a submission and every submission will be counted. We have until 22 May to lodge as many submissions as possible.
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Did you know Australia is one of the worst countries in the world for bulldozing and clearing land? Giant chains are being dragged across the land behind huge bulldozers—intent on destruction
They are tearing down trees, killing our native wildlife and releasing tonnes of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Donate today to help put an end to large-scale deforestation.
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IMAGE: As the afternoon mist lifted, the crazy ridgeline of the Western Arthurs came into view | @_not_jamesbond
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Watch this
Earlier this month, we received this devastating footage of a critically endangered Fairy (Leadbeater’s) Possum in the remnants of a recently logged forest in Victoria’s Central Highlands. For years now, scientists have clearly stated that the only way to save this species from extinction is to protect its forest habitat. Thanks to Wildlife of the Central Highlands for supplying this footage and for their tireless work protecting forests in Victoria's Central Highlands. Watch now
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Have you heard?
Great news! The Night Parrot wasn’t confirmed as still being alive in Australia as of three years ago, and now it's been found in QLD AND in WA. Read more
The last stand in a two-decade forest war is happening now. A shrunken pool of timber, home to a declining population of endangered possums, is the final battleground. Read more
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