Author Archives: lilia
Guest Blog: Jenny Weber – Huon Valley Environment Center
Guest blog Bio: Jenny Weber
Jenny Weber is a forest activist committed to non violent direct action and campaigns to protect native forests in an age of urgent need for action on climate change. Jenny has worked for ten years with the grassroots NGO Huon Valley Environment Centre. Her main campaign tasks are exposing Ta Ann and mobilising a campaign for the urgent protection of native forests with world heritage values and other conservation values in the Huon district.
‘A forest a day’ project compiled in new report!
There has been continuous logging in forests across Tasmania that were earmarked for protection and which have been independently verified as being of world heritage or national heritage value, despite promises of a comprehensive moratorium on logging these high conservation value forests whilst their long term future is negotiated.
During July, we launched a new online project on www.taann.net and www.observertree.org called ‘A forest a day’. This important project showcases some of Tasmania’s most significant forested ecosystems, and documents their ongoing destruction. Throughout July, a new area of forest on the current logging schedule was profiled each day. These forests are under imminent threat or had been logged in the period of time when they should have been under a moratorium. We’ve compiled the online project into a report, which you can download HERE (for screen viewing) or HERE (for printing).
Forests whose future protection has been under discussion have been falling to the chainsaw because of the influence of the forestry industry and the failure of decision makers to restrain Forestry Tasmania. Forestry Tasmania has failed to reschedule all logging to occur outside of the forests nominated for protection.
A major driver of this logging is Ta Ann’s wood supply requirements, according to official documents. Please take action to help stop this destruction by sending a message to Ta Ann’s corporate customers in Japan HERE.
Miranda’s Daily Blog: 249
It was great to have guests visiting the Observer Tree this week, all the way from Japan. And it was so great to finally meet Akira Harada, from Japan Tropical Forest Action Network (JATAN). We have had many emails back and forth over the past eight months and some talks over Skype, collaborating on the campaign for forest protection. For grassroots groups in Tasmania and Japan to work together has been so valuable in exposing the truth to the Japanese customers of Ta Ann.
A large amount of Tasmania’s high conservation value forests are ending up in Japan. Malaysian company Ta Ann are selling these products to their corporate customers in Japan, labelling them as “eco,” environmentally friendly. Please take a moment to send a message to those customer companies about the destruction of Tasmania’s forests: click HERE.
Although we were only able to talk over the walkie talkie, separated by 60 meters, it was great to meet Akira and his associates. While they were here they made me a warm soup for lunch and sent up some lovely presents. I hope that we will continue to work together, from Tasmania to Japan, to help protect these precious forests.
I hope you enjoy this video blog:
From Thursday’s media release:
Mr Akira Harada, a spokesperson for Japanese ENGO JATAN who is currently in Tasmania inspecting the logging of high conservation value forests that were exempted from a logging moratorium, said “I am not happy to witness the logging destruction of Tasmania’s magnificent forests that are of global importance. It is not acceptable for the market in Japan to buy the product of such forest destruction sold as ‘eco’ wood.”
“It is vital that such forests are protected, and that Japanese customers of Tasmanian product such as that sold by Ta Ann can then have confidence that their product is from acceptable sources. This is not yet the case,” Mr Harada said.
Media Release: Conservationists concerned about delays in forest protection
Media Release: 15 – 08 – 2012
Today’s announcement from the signatories to the forest negotiations has added uncertainty to the future of forest protection in Tasmania. Environment groups Still Wild Still Threatened and the Huon Valley Environment Center are raising concerns about the failure of negotiations to deliver conservation outcomes.
“Today’s announcement has left the future of Tasmania’s world-class forests uncertain. The interim agreement has given no clear outcomes or commitment to protect the full verified area that has been recommended for protection as world heritage and national heritage value forest. The forest that I have been living in for the past eight months remains under threat, as logging of high conservation value forests appear set to continue in the immediate future” said Miranda Gibson of Still Wild Still Threatened.
“Today’s announcement is yet another delay that will see key areas of high conservation value forest logged while talks continue over the coming weeks. This is nothing more than the window dressing as the critical issues have not been addressed. In the forest logging continues in areas with conservation values. Ta Ann continue to be a key driver of this logging, while misrepresenting the source of their timber in international markets. Tasmania’s forests need secure conservation outcomes immediately. Nothing else will suffice” said Jenny Weber of the Huon Valley Environment Center.
Donations Needed
The Observer Tree really needs your help to keep this project going and to continue the campaign to expose the truth behind Ta Ann’s forest destruction.
Any contributions however big or small will be very gratefully appreciated.
Please direct deposit donations into the Observer Tree bank account:
Bendigo Bank
Account name: Still Wild Still Threatened
Acc Number: 144673571
BSB: 633000
Miranda’s Daily Blog: Day 239 & 240
It’s snowing! What a beautiful experience to witness this forest in the snow. Although it has snowed quiet a few times throughout winter now, this week was the first time that the snow settled properly on the tree tops. It was like a winter wonderland up here! I hope you enjoy my photos. (And stay tuned for a little video blog coming soon too).
Help protect this amazing forest from industrial scale logging… click HERE.
Miranda’s Daily Blog: Day 237
Today is the anniversary of the day on which this tree was promised protection. One year on and the forests are still waiting.
On this day last year the Tasmanian Forest Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) was announced. Lara Giddings and Julia Gillard signed the document that promised an “immediate conservation agreement” would be placed over 430,000 hectares of Tasmania’s high conservation value forest. This was meant to be the first step towards eventual formal protection of that area and other high conservation value forests (572,000 hectares of proposed new reserves).
The tree that I am sitting in today should have been protected by that conservation agreement, yet it remains under threat. As does the forest around me. Luckily this forest has survived so far. However, a lot of damage can be done in one year when it comes to industrial scale logging in Tasmania. And so, as we mark the anniversary of the IGA announcement today, it is a day of remembering the forest that could have been saved that has now been irreparably damaged. Globally significant forests like Butlers Gorge, the Picton Valley, the Tarkine…. the list goes on as the destruction continues around the state.
Forest negotiations have been going on now for well over two years. The question remains, when will this process lead to forest protection? With another deadline coming and going yesterday, and still no final outcome, it is very worrying. Because while they are talking the industry is still logging the very forests that are the subject of those talks, and every day that those talks are extended means more and more hectares of forest lost.
The signatories to the talks announced yesterday that they had come to no agreement as of yet, but that they were still hopeful. The sticking point appears to be that the agreed reserve area and wood supply data did not match. Two weeks ago the signatories submitted to Forestry Tasmania their agreed outcomes, to be modeled. While the public has been kept in the dark about the exact hectares and wood quotas that are on the table, it is clear that whatever was previously agreed has turned out to be unworkable. It is back to the drawing board, this time with the assistance of the government who will join in the negotiation process of Friday to help nut out the final outcome.
This new development is ringing alarm bells for the forests. Will the forests be made to suffer because of the over-cutting and unsustainable industry practices? Will the contract of an overseas company involved in corruption, human rights violations and environmental destruction be prioritised over Tasmania’s unique environment? The forests don’t have any “room to move” left, because the fact is that these ecosystems have been forced to compromise over and over again for decades. In that time, thousands and thousands of hectares of high conservation value forest, critical endangered species habitat and globally significant ecosystems have already been lost in Tasmania. And enough is enough. It is time for the full area that has now been scientifically verified as national and world heritage value to be reserved.
And so, this week will be a long week, as the forests stand by awaiting their fate. Let’s hope Tasmania’s world-class forests will receive the protection they deserve and so urgently need.
Click HERE to take part in the cyber action, and help protect Tasmania’s ancient forests.
Media Release: Environment groups worried about Forests Agreement failure to reach deadline.
Still Wild Still Threatened and Huon Valley Environment Centre are expressing concern about the Tasmanian Forests Agreement failing to be reach a resolution yet.
“It’s worrying that an agreement has not been reached. We hope there will not be any concessions made on the full reserve ask and secure conservation outcomes. We are hopeful this process will provide significant conservation gains. At this final stage as agreement between the forestry industry and some environment groups is appearing difficult, we hope that the threatened forests with important conservation values are not left open for logging,” Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said.
“With the government’s failure to implement a moratorium, every day that talks continue more and more of the high conservation value forest that is the subject of those talks is in fact being lost to logging. We remain hopeful that a resolution will be reached soon that will see an end to the destruction of these forests. It is critical for the conservation of Tasmania’s unique environment that the full verified area of world heritage and national heritage value forests receives formal legislated protection” said Miranda Gibson spokesperson for Still Wild Still Threatened.
Miranda’s Daily Blog: Day 234
Check out this video blog about a visit I had this week from the United Nations Youth Representative for Australia.
T h e O b s e r v e r T r e e 