Re: Chained to a tree
Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 5:24 am
Steve Meacher
Hello forest protectors,
You have probably heard by now that VicForests effectively 'won' the case against them today, and that is true, as far as it goes.
But it's not the whole truth.
The fact is, they can only continue to log in the Toolangi coupes in accordance with the much reduced proposal that they committed to during the case. So a large proportion of the three coupes, we would argue most of Freddo and South Col, will have to be excluded. Without the case those three coupes would have been entirely clear-felled.
Today's result may not be what we have hoped for, but not to have run the case would have been far worse for our forests.
We shall be continuing the fight to ensure that the prescriptions that have now been clarified and confirmed are not ignored but fully applied in all future logging; most particularly in the 198 coupes (later reduced to 168) that VicForests identified as being similar in character, due to containing, or being close to, LbP habitat.
The greatest disappointment is that the judge found that the Leadbeater's Possum Action Statement does not operate independently of the Forest Management Plan. This dramatically exposes the total inadequacy of state legislation to protect threatened species. State law is designed to facilitate logging of native forests despite the potential presence of threatened species.
The big positive is that the judge called for an urgent review of the zoning system that is supposed to protect Leadbeater's habitat, to take account of the effects of the 2009 fires.
It's going to take some time to work through and fully understand the 110 pages of reasons for the judgement. So we will send out some more information as we digest the decision.
But, for now, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Sarah and My Environment. It would take no courage at all to undertake such a case if you knew all along you were going to win. The essence of bravery is to acknowledge the risk and have the moral backbone to go ahead anyway.
Congratulations and thank you, Sarah and My Environment.
For the forests,
Steve
p.s. Maps and schedules of new proposed changes to the TRP are went on the VicForests website today - http://www.vicforests.com.au/ch-trp.htm
There are 22 new coupes in Toolangi SF, half of which are clearfell or seed-tree.
We have a month to make submissions. Time to get writing!
Hello forest protectors,
You have probably heard by now that VicForests effectively 'won' the case against them today, and that is true, as far as it goes.
But it's not the whole truth.
The fact is, they can only continue to log in the Toolangi coupes in accordance with the much reduced proposal that they committed to during the case. So a large proportion of the three coupes, we would argue most of Freddo and South Col, will have to be excluded. Without the case those three coupes would have been entirely clear-felled.
Today's result may not be what we have hoped for, but not to have run the case would have been far worse for our forests.
We shall be continuing the fight to ensure that the prescriptions that have now been clarified and confirmed are not ignored but fully applied in all future logging; most particularly in the 198 coupes (later reduced to 168) that VicForests identified as being similar in character, due to containing, or being close to, LbP habitat.
The greatest disappointment is that the judge found that the Leadbeater's Possum Action Statement does not operate independently of the Forest Management Plan. This dramatically exposes the total inadequacy of state legislation to protect threatened species. State law is designed to facilitate logging of native forests despite the potential presence of threatened species.
The big positive is that the judge called for an urgent review of the zoning system that is supposed to protect Leadbeater's habitat, to take account of the effects of the 2009 fires.
It's going to take some time to work through and fully understand the 110 pages of reasons for the judgement. So we will send out some more information as we digest the decision.
But, for now, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Sarah and My Environment. It would take no courage at all to undertake such a case if you knew all along you were going to win. The essence of bravery is to acknowledge the risk and have the moral backbone to go ahead anyway.
Congratulations and thank you, Sarah and My Environment.
For the forests,
Steve
p.s. Maps and schedules of new proposed changes to the TRP are went on the VicForests website today - http://www.vicforests.com.au/ch-trp.htm
There are 22 new coupes in Toolangi SF, half of which are clearfell or seed-tree.
We have a month to make submissions. Time to get writing!