Old growth? What old growth?
Under State Forests' "definition", this tree, and its' surrounding forest -
adjacent to Dungirr National Park - did not "qualify" as old growth. The
Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) of our forests identified many areas
of old growth that have not been protected. These areas have been,
and continue to be, targeted by State Forests for "harvesting". Thus, making
sure that very little old growth will be protected during the promised further
assessments.
The original data from the CRA process showed the full extent of State Forests'
mismanagement. If our forests have been managed sustainably, why do 50,000
cubic meters of timber need to be trucked north annually to keep the mills beyond
Grafton functioning? Why are State Forests trying to buy up forested private
land? Post CRA, in desperation, they set up a special unit to map the harvestable
timber on private land. Why has Wilson Tuckey floated the idea of logging
National Parks?
Mappers brought in from interstate for the CRA process were horrified by the
"management" of forests in N.S.W. This "management" (over cutting) has led, in most areas, to trees that will not be of millable size for at least 30 years.
The truth is, our forests are NOT in safe hands and the misleading
pronouncements about sustainability and protecting old growth keep pouring from the mouths of politicians, industry and StateForests.
