Gaps in Tassie forest deal implementation exposed

ACF

Environment groups claim the conservation agreement released today by the Tasmanian and Commonwealth governments fails to adequately deliver on the first key conservation outcome promised by the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). The coalition of groups urged both governments to bring an immediate end to logging that has continued in forests earmarked for protection and shown to be home to endangered species.

UPDATE: Prime Minister Julia Gillard has defended implementation of the IGA, saying “99.5 per cent of the nominated area for interim protection is being protected,” while the conservation value of the forests is verified.

posted by seamas on January 13, 2012 at 1:49 pm · filed under

Peace deal looks flawed from Tassie treetops

Feature

Conservationist Miranda Gibson has spent weeks sitting 60 meters above the ground, at the top of a tree in the middle of Tasmania’s south-western wilderness. Miranda made the commitment to remain on her tree-top platform until the area of forest receives the protection that was promised by State and Federal governments in August 2011.

Read & Comment »

posted by ecomedia on January 7, 2012 at 2:38 pm · filed under

Land management link to wacky weather

Sydney Morning Herald

Landscape management expert Peter Andrews believes unpredictable weather across Australia is more likely due to widespread gross mismanagement of our land than the impact of global warming. Andrews briefed the Sydney Morning Herald’s Paul Sheehan on the direct connection between land use and weather systems, while also strongly criticising management of the Murray-Darling Basin and the cogency of the Australian Greens party.

posted by seamas on January 3, 2012 at 7:23 am · filed under

Greenpeace opposes nation’s largest coal mine

Greenpeace Australia Pacific

Greenpeace is calling on the Queensland Government to reject an application by mining company Waratah Coal to create Australia’s biggest ever coal mine in the Galilee Basin. The group claims the proposed “China First” mine will see open cut mining in the 8000-hectare Bimblebox Nature reserve and result in millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions.

posted by seamas on December 26, 2011 at 3:15 pm · filed under

Forest clearing spikes in New South Wales

Sydney Morning Herald

A concerning spike in forest clearing in New South Wales is revealed in a newly released government report. A total of 42,700 hectares of trees were cleared for forestry, farming or infrastructure in 2010; that’s 38% more than the previous year and almost double the average seen over recent decades. About half of the forest was cleared for crops and grazing, SMH’s Ben Cubby reports. The spike means logging is closing in on bushfires as the biggest cause of forest destruction in the state. Although the government claims no net loss of forest when accounting for regrowth, conservation groups are concerned it is not doing enough to prevent clearing of habitat and watersheds.

posted by seamas on December 23, 2011 at 7:02 am · filed under

Lake Eyre Basin rivers and wetlands protected

The Wilderness Society

The Wilderness Society reports that a whopping 4.5 million hectares of land around the pristine rivers, lakes and wetlands of the Lake Eyre Basin will now be kept safe from coal seam gas and petroleum mining, irrigated agriculture and other destructive industrial activities, thanks to a decision by the Queensland Government. Ten additional Indigenous Wild River Ranger jobs will be created to help ensure the protection of these rivers.

posted by seamas on December 20, 2011 at 7:14 am · filed under

Asia Pulp & Paper greenwash exposed

WWF

Indonesian NGO coalition Eyes on the Forest and WWF are drawing attention to the hollowness of claims by Asia Pulp & Paper that it is working to protect Sumatran tiger. The company fails to acknowledge in it’s blatant greenwashing, that it has been responsible for logging more than two million hectares of Indonesia’s tropical forests in recent decades, including elephant, tiger and orang-utan habitat; and, most shockingly, even clear-cutting inside the “Senepis Tiger Sanctuary” that it claims to have helped create in Sumatra. The company had also previously tried to halt a government-proposed national park in the area.

posted by seamas on December 15, 2011 at 7:28 am · filed under