Forest activists are meeting in Bellingen on the corner of Church and Hyde streets at 10am tomorrow to protest on the International Day of Forests.
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Ashley Love from the Bellingen Environment Centre said they would be highlighting:
· That the steep and sensitive Kalang headwaters forests are imminent danger from Forestry Corporations industrial logging of native forests,
· The need for the Great Koala National Park becomes more urgent every day as Koalas, wildlife, rivers and our unique forests are decimated.
· The pressure from the Forestry Corporation on logging native forests and unsustainable plantations around Bellingen keeps rolling on an a better approach is needed.
“The fight to protect the Kalang headwaters and rivers is about to start in earnest,” Ashley said. “The Forestry Corporation are planning to move in there any time after March 31, at the end of seasonal restrictions that limit logging on steeper slopes.
“Four compartments of the Kalang headwater forests in Scotchman and Roses Creek State forests are scheduled for logging first. The compartments are rated in Forestry Corporation of NSW’s own draft harvest plan as having ‘potential for mass movement and instability’ as well as having soils that are ‘inherent hazard level 3’ the second highest erodible rating available.
“The steep headwater forests are at the furthest distance from timber mills and are currently providing clean water, carbon sequestration and protection of internationally recognised biodiversity features. They should not be being intensively logged in this day and age.”
Ashley said the area to the west of Bellingen is one of three strongholds in the world for the endangered Rufous Scrub-bird, Atrichornis rufescens, which is significant as one of the most primitive living song birds.
“It’s last remaining unprotected habitat in this region is within the Kalang headwater forests scheduled for logging in the near future,” Ashley said.”
“People travel from around the world to listen to the distinctive call of this species.
“As a result of the threats to the Kalang headwaters forests, the Kalang and Bellinger communities are left with no choice but to blockade, to take non-violent direct action and demand that our headwaters are left intact for our community.”
In response, a Forestry Corporation spokesperson said:
“We have been continuously harvesting timber in the regrowth forests in this area for decades and we carefully manage this so that these forests and the river continue to thrive.
“Our soil and water specialists have collected more than 40 years of water quality monitoring that shows State forests have some of the best water quality in the landscape.
“The catchment consists of private property, State forests, along with national parks. Our operations are meticulously planned and tightly regulated and more than half of every harvest area will remain untouched
“We use sophisticated LiDAR imagery and data to map where the steep areas are and all our machinery is fitted with GPS systems so our operators know exactly which trees to harvest.
“The timber harvested from these State forests supplies sawmills in the Bellingen Valley, Nambucca and Grafton areas.”