Guest guest Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 --Today for you 32 new articles about earth's trees! (358th edition) --You can now RSS tree news in a regional format at: http://forestpolicyresearch.org --To Subscribe / to the world-wide email format send a blank email to: earthtreenews- OR earthtreenews- In this issue: Asia-Pacific-Australia Index: --China: 1) World's greatest timber thief: Boycott Chinese furniture, 2) To tame 'logging tigers' in Qionglai Mountain Range, 3) Forestry and Timber Market Report 2008, 4) Half a million hectares of earthquake damaged forests? --Japan: 5) Logging in the 80's was countered by a UK activist's restoration work --India: 6) Save Mangroves and Casuarina trees in the Erasama and Balikuda areas, 7) Workshop on traditional forest dwellers rights act, 8) Pilgrim city of Puri destroys a big chunk of Odisha forest every year for chariot construction, --Burma: 9) Nearly 20% of its forest destroyed in 15 years --Bangladesh: 10) A grown up reflects on his lost forest of childhood --Thailand: 11) Save rosewood trees from extinction --Vietnam: 12) Dai Ninh's illegal logging using motorcycles, 13) Absentee landowners, --Malaysia-Indonesia: 13) Leaders of the palm oil land grab --Malaysia: 14) Month long road blockade continues, 15) Wildlife populations decline, --Indonesia: 16) Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper bribed almost US$700,000 for illegal permits, 17) Australia and Indonesia agree to stop deforestation by ignoring it, 18) Six arrests for US$24 million worth of timber theft, --New Zealand: 19) Honoring a giant tree named Te Matua Ngahere --Australia: 20) Revised police protocols for forest protests, 21) Tassie's under pressure to get rid of Gunn's contract, 22) Mission Beach activists demand ban on clearing rainforest, 23) North East Forest Alliance and a long overdue gov. review, 24) State Budget cuts funds to Gunns, 25) Stop logging on Wielangta Hill, 26) Can the EPBC Act stop logging? 27) $3.5 million promised to prevent land clearing is illegally re-appropriated, 28) Tassie premier backs away from forest reserve expansions, 29) 500 people turn out to meeting to oppose pulp mill pipeline, 30) Save last remaining corridors of vegetation, 31) Environment Council decries more than 100,000 hectares of land approved for logging in the past 10 months, 32) Cape York Peninsula's first Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), China: 1) " Most logs imported into China are effectively stolen, with no payment of government royalties to exporting nations or environmental control over harvest operations. At least 80% of Chinese timber imports from Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands are illegal, according to recent estimates, with somewhat lower values (50 to 60%) for Malaysia and Russia, " writes Laurance. " Unprocessed logs are easy to acquire and smuggle, and corruption in the log trade is far more prevalent than that for processed forest products. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), China's demand for imported industrial wood — timber, paper and pulp — will grow by at least 33 percent within the next five years, from the current 94 million cubic meters to 125 million cubic meters. http://beroesourcing.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/us-illegal-wood-trade-ban/ 2) In 1972, Yin Kaipu, then a young ecologist, hitched a ride aboard a loaded logging truck to a village at the base of the spectacular Qionglai Mountain Range in China's Sichuan Province. To keep from falling off, Yin and his professor, Liu Zhaoguang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Chengdu Institute of Biology (CIB) in Sichuan, wrapped their arms around the logs as the truck lurched down the winding dirt roads to the headquarters of the government-run logging company. What they saw was disheartening: The mountains along the road and close to the village were " shaved like a monk's head, " Yin said, recalling his professor's dismay at the extensive clear-cutting. " He knew that many special plants were being lost, " along with the " habitat of many species, " says Yin. The logging also posed a threat to a Chinese icon, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), which lived in small, isolated parts of the mountains' dense bamboo forests. Decades later, Premier Zhu Rongji echoed Liu's concern, decrying the Sichuan loggers as " tigers eating the whole sheep " when he toured these and other ranges in westernmost Sichuan in 1997. Together, the ranges make up the 700,000-square-kilometer Hengduan Mountain Region, home to the world's most biologically diverse temperate forest, hosting 40% of all of China's plant species. Today, thanks in part to efforts by Yin and many others, the " logging tigers " have been tamed. After two devastating floods, the Sichuan government imposed a logging ban in 1998. Much of the region is being preserved in parks and reserves. And under a national program, local farmers are being rewarded for planting trees on fragile slopes. But Hengduan's natural forests are not yet out of the woods. The logging ban is due to expire in 2010, and economic and population pressures still loom as threats to the recovery of the region's forests. What happens to this unique ecosystem could be an indicator of the prospects for other parts of China that have been ravaged by rapid industrialization and population growth. " The end of the logging was the first step, " says Yin. " The challenge is finding a balance between people's needs and protecting the forest. " http://www.mydeadspace.cn/blog/?p=240 3) Research and Markets has announced the addition of the " China Forestry and Timber Market Report 2008 " report to their offering. China's forest areas cover 4.6% of the total in the world with 174.90 million hectares. The forest coverage only reaches 18.21%, far lower than the world average level of 61.52%. The forest reserves are 12.46 billion cubic meters and still not amount to 3% of the total reserves in the world. The forest area per capita is 0.132 hectares, not reaching 1/4 of the world average level. The forest reserves per capita are 9.421 cubic meters and do not reach 1/6 of the world average level. The forest reserves per hectare are only 84.73 cubic meters which is equal to 84.86% of the world average level. From the perspective of forest area per capita, China is short in the forestry resource and far behind other countries which have abundant forest resources. In 2007, the output of timber was 69.7665 million cubic meters in China, up 5.52 per cent year-on-year, provided more timber supply for domestic market, amid 64,920,500 cubic meters of logs, increased 6.22 per cent year-on-year; 4.846 million cubic meters of fuel wood, decreased 3.10 per cent year-on-year. The timber market would be prosperous in the following years. It is expected that China timber output would increase rapidly and the annual growth rate would keep between 20% and 30%. In 2007, China imported 37,090,800 cubic meters of logs, up 15.36 per cent year-on-year, the total amount was 5.35061 billion U.S. dollars, increased 36.17 per cent year-on-year. Russia is China's main source for timber imports. In 2007 imports 25,395,600 cubic meters of timber from Russia, accounting for 68.47 per cent of the total imports. In the first quarter of 2008, China imported 8,514,700 cubic meters of logs, decreased 11.53 per cent year-on-year; unit price was 164.42 U.S. dollars per cubic meter, increased 22.25% than 134.5 U.S. dollars in 2007. The demand for timber is a large amount for the paper manufacturing industry. In 2007 the total amount of machine-made paper and paperboard output in China was 77.87 million tons, which has increased 18.07 per cent year-on year. In 2007 the output of wood-based panel was 88.3858 million cubic meters, up 18.98 per cent year-on-year; wooden floor was 343.43 million square meters, up 46.77 per cent year-on-year, a significant increasing. http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view & newsId=20080\ 617005680 & newsL ang=en 4) Last month's massive earthquake destroyed or damaged almost half a million hectares of forests, the State Forestry Administration (SFA) said here Thursday. The quake affected 431,015 ha of forests in Sichuan and the neighboring provinces, causing losses of 23 billion yuan (3.29 billion U.S. dollars), said SFA deputy director Yin Hong. Houses, roads, the power network, water pipelines and fire-prevention devices all sustained severe damage, causing 9.41 billion yuan worth of losses in forestry facilities. Landslides and mud-rock flows undermined 12.91 billion yuan worth of woodland and timber, and 850 million saplings were buried and killed, the SFA said. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/12/content_8356602.htm Japan: 5) " Japan went through a period in the 1980s when Japanese politics was dominated by cutting down old forests, putting concrete walls on rivers and generally making a mess of things and I was very vocal against that. " Right in the middle of that I came back and saw all this beauty that had been created here in Afan. " When I went back to Japan - I had just started buying abused woods and bringing it back to health - I said why don't we twin forests - like we twin cities. " This week he is showing a party of 35 Japanese people around the area so they can see first hand the efforts made to reclaim former industrial scarred land. " We have a lot to teach too because in our woods over the last 20 years we have brought back 21 endangered species, " he adds. " Nothing but good can come about talking about woods together and what they mean to the environment, culture, and our history. " A Japanese citizen since 1995, and a leading light in its green movement long before that, he is back in Wales to promote closer links between the two nations. About to turn 68 next month, his life story is almost comic book-esque. Born in Neath, he was educated in England where he said constant bullying at school sparked an interest in martial arts. At the age of 17 he joined an expedition to the Canadian Arctic and has completed another 19 since. Now a writer and broadcaster in both Japanese and English - a two year stint as a game keeper in Ethiopia's Semien Mountain National Park also sticks out on his CV. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/7450541.stm India: 6) PARADIP: Environmentalists and inhabitants of Erasama and Balikuda areas have expressed serious concern over continuous depletion of mangrove and casuarina forests from Bandar river mouth of Balikuda to Harishpur and in Jatadhari river mouth of Erasama area. Neither district administration nor forest department has taken any steps for protection of these forests. Sources said more than 45 panchayats of Kujang, Erasama and Balikuda were severely affected by the super cyclone. Environmentalist said the impact of super cyclone was maximum due to depletion of jungles from coastal villages. Tidal wave entered thousands of villages due to decline in mangrove and casuarina trees. After super cyclone, forest department created mangrove forests on 150 acres stretching from Bandar river mouth to Harishpur river mouth which became home to hundreds of deer, boar and other animals. But of late, timber mafia are active in the forests and laying waste to the rich plantations. Even womenfolk in coastal villages are regularly collecting firewood from jungles. Similarly, poachers are on the prowl hunting deer and other animals regularly. President of Upkula Anchal Bikash Parish Pratap Sahoo said the jungles are no more safe for deer and other animals. Recently two deer strayed into human habitation and were caught by locals from IOC refinery project area and Paradip town area. Sahoo said lack of protection, shortage of forest staff, regular felling of trees by timber mafia are the main reasons for depletion of mangrove and casuarina forests in Erasama and Balikuda areas. Locals said earlier there was a mechanized boat and a boatman under Harishpur forest office. But as the authorities transferred the boatman to Rajnagar area, now the mafia have a field day smuggling timber through waterways. Forest staff claimed they have neither staff support nor sufficient arms to counter armed mania and poachers. Environmentalists have suggested deploying volunteers from nearby villages or appointing temporary forest guards to keep mafia at bay. http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20080616012917 & Page=Q & Title=Oriss\ a & Topic=0 7) JABALPUR: Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers in Madhya Pradesh, who have been dependent on forests for their livelihood, have been given rights over forest lands through the new Act framed in this connection. " Forest dwellers are friends of forests and play an important role in their development and preservation. The Act would ensure that forest dwellers get forest-based material for their livelihood. They would have natural rights over water, forests and land in the true sense " , Principal Secretary O P Rawat said in a media workshop here yesterday. The workshop was organised with a view to ensure wide publicity and better implementation of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition to Rights) Act 2006 and Rule 2008. He underlined the need to make traditional forest dwellers aware of their rights enshrined in the Act and said that media can play historic role in this connection. Media's positive cooperation would contribute largely towards ending historic injustice against forest dwellers, he said. Further, he said efforts would be undertaken to provide tribal people their natural rights by ending injustice. Rawat informed that the forest dwellers belonging to scheduled tribes, who had been tilling forest lands after encroaching on them till December 13, 2005, would have to present two proofs apart from caste certificate. Those people would be considered as other traditional forest dwellers who have been living in forests for at least last three generations (75 years) before December 31, 2005 and are dependent on forests for their livelihood, but have made houses outside forests to meet educational and other requirements. Rawat informed that community rights of forest dwellers have also been recognised. Another objective of the Act is protection of wildlife, forests and bio-diversity with the help of forest dwellers. He informed that three committees operative at Gram Sabha, sub-division and district levels have been constituted in connection with recognition to rights. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Policy/STs_forest_dwellers_in_M\ P_given_rights_o ver_forest_lands/articleshow/3125567.cms 8) Come July 4 next, the pilgrim city of Puri will witness one of the grandest spectacles on earth with several lakh devotees thronging this seaside town to witness the famous Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath. But hardly any one of them is aware that observance of the annual car festival of the presiding deities of the 12th century shrine, which has become an integral part of the socio-cultural milieu of the people with the occasion being observed as the state festival, puts immense pressure on the forests of Odisha. It is no secret that several forest blocks have vanished while meeting the requirement of wood for construction of the chariots in the past. " The car festival will prove to be an environmental nightmare for the state in the long run, " an environmentalist cautions. The temple administration needs huge quantities of wood for the annual car festival and other rituals associated with the festival. However, nature lovers and environmentalists view this practice as a vicious circle of conspicuous ecological consumption. The temple authorities are facing problems in timber procurement since 1996-97. The issue has been discussed in several meetings including possible reuse of at least some of the valuable timber. The Puri Car Festival Code, 1983 requires the state government to provide the needed timber free of cost. Each year the forests under Khurda and Nayagarh divisions are being combed to identify the trees of desired dimensions and species. The Sri Jagannath temple records shed no light as to exactly when this pilgrim city hosted the first car festival though it s believed to be several centuries old. After the car festival is over, the gigantic chariots are dismantled to be used in the kitchen of the temple for preparation of the holy food for the deities known as Mahaprasad. The wood were earlier auctioned and sold to the devotees for raising revenue of the temple. But the practice has been stopped since last four years, according to Binod Behary Mohanty, Administrator, in-charge of rituals. The three chariots, 44-feet high Nandighosh with 16 wheels, 43 feet high Taladhwaj with 14 wheels and the 42 feet Devadalan with 12 wheels, need 1,135 big logs of about 400 cubic metre of timber including Phasi, Asana, Dharua, Simili, Mahalima, Kadamba, Moi, Kalachua, Paldhua, Devadaru etc. Nearly 1,000 trees are felled every year for construction of the chariots. As suitable Phasi trees grow only in highly localised sites in riparian zones, a question mark has appeared over sustained supply of timber for the chariots from these forests unless systematic efforts were made address the problem. The Nayagarh forest division provides 865 pieces of logs while the Khurda forest division supplies 270 pieces of logs, Laxmidhar Pujapanda, PRO of the temple administration says. http://www.kalingatimes.com/orissa_news/news3/20080613_Rath_Yatra_takes_heavy_to\ ll_on_Odisha_fo rests.htm Burma: 9) Burma lost 18 per cent of its forests between 1990 and 2005, one of the highest deforestation rates in the world according to the Global Witness. Fifteen tonnes of illegally logged timber crosses the Burmese border into China every seven minutes, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, it added. " Deforestation continues to increase. However, it is difficult to estimate how much increase there has been as almost all logging is illegal, " said Aung Ngyeh. A Mon ethnic environmentalist Chan Don compared the forests in Three Pagoda Pass (TPP) Township on the Thai-Burma border in 1998 with the current situation. " Now there is no more forest in the township areas " . People in Mon state are also into increased burning of forests for farms and rubber plantations he added. Over the last three years, businessmen in TPP Township started transporting timber from Kyainnseikyi Township areas to the TPP Township after almost all trees on the border had gone, said U Pon, a local businessman. Businessmen on an average bring about six vehicles of timber to TPP township everyday, he added. Residents have difficulty in accessing timber to build or repair their houses and are now worried about the impact of deforestation in the area, said Aung Myint, a local resident. We face shortage of water every year in the summer since 2005. The weather is also abnormal. The rains started too early this year. When it rains it is quite cold and when the rain stops it is too hot even in the rainy season, Aung Myint added. The weather in other regions of Burma also affects residents said local environmental groups. People are continuing to suffer from the effects of both local and global environmental problems and the junta must learn from the devastating impact of Cyclone Nargis said an EarthRights Student Union statement on World Environment Day. Globally, gas emission contributes to global warming, storms are increasing in intensity while locally deforestation and pollution from mining affects the environment, the statement stated. http://burmadigest.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/burma-tops-list-in-deforestation/ Bangladesh: 10) My village embraced the river like a child suckling its mother. It gave us sustenance. Transported us to many other places. This elixir of life that fed our village also carried away our dead to the nether world. The river Hooghly was the fulcrum on which our cycle of life rotated albeit in fits and starts. It was from this village that we would travel on dinghies down the river to the Sunderbans, the Gangetic Delta that was home to tiger, deer, crocodile and many other creatures that had flourished in the mangroves. It had some of the best fishing spots outside Calcutta. We would boat down the delta along the mangrove forests where fish was in plentiful. At times it became a farce, as we didn't have to wait hours for a " bite " . We would catch quite a few fish in minutes. The bait was earthworms that we dug up from the muddy banks of the river. At night we anchored in midstream for fear of tigers. We had heard stories of man-eating tigers swimming out, capsizing the boats and carrying away the hapless villagers. I admired them (villagers) because they ventured unarmed deep into the tiger infested mangrove forest to collect honey even though many of them ended up on the dinner table of the resident tigers. But their reverence for life and acceptance of their kismet (karma) kept them from carrying arms. For me, this was frightening.Many years later I returned to my village but couldn't recognise it. The banyan had been cut down to make way for construction of an anchorage for boats. Most of the villages on the embankment had disappeared and in their place were sad little cement buildings that resembled grotty little public conveniences. The smell of fresh earth after the first monsoon rains was replaced by diesel fumes from motorised boats and the cacophony of the numerous herons that had nested in the surrounding trees was gone. In fact the trees were all gone. The only sound that I could hear was the clamour of civilisation gone mad. I never could sum up the courage to visit my old childhood haunts in the Sunderbans for fear of being confronted with the reality of Man's greed. I wanted to preserve the memories of lush green forests teeming with birds and beasts and the tiny crabs leaving their footprints on the muddy banks of the river. Fortunately destruction like this did not happen in areas where the urgent need for preservation was paramount. http://marculyseas.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/where-do-the-children-play/ Thailand: 11) The Forestry Department is pushing for the amendment of regulations to better protect phayuung, or rosewood, trees from extinction. The amendment, which will be submitted to the cabinet for consideration, will put the trees into a category that requires a permit before felling. Other trees in the same category are teak and yang, perennials tree of the dipterocarpaceae species. The amendment is necessary to safeguard the trees because of the high demand for rosewood in the international market, said Somchai Pienstaporn, chief of Forestry Department. He added that the amendment process should be completed in a month. He said apart from the amendment, the department will join hands with other state agencies to step up patrols in rosewood-rich areas. Rosewood is a hard wood mostly found in the lower Isan provinces such as Si Sa Ket, Buri Ram and Ubon Ratchathani and also in some neighbouring countries such as Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. The wood is in high demand in China as it is popular for making Chinese statues. A one-foot-tall statue can fetch more than 100,000 baht. Statistics from the Customs Department showed 97,000 rosewood logs were seized and 193 loggers were arrested since 2005. The cost of damage is about 110.9 million baht. Despite the high number of arrests, it is believed that at least half the illegal rosewood loggers get away. Mr Somchai admitted that legal loopholes in the original regulations made it difficult for state authorities to crack down on illegal logging. ''At the moment, we can't take legal action against those who cut down the trees that grow on their land and it's very difficult to identify logs _ whether they are from natural forest, public or private land. The amendment will make it a lot easier for authorities to enforce the law,'' said Mr Somchai. He also said he is confident that the number of illegally felled trees are decreasing. Beside efforts to amend the regulations, the department has been lobbying Asean members to have rosewood put on the Cites list of Appendix III _ a process that requires exporters to seek permits or certificates. http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/17Jun2008_news12.php Vietnam: 12) The illegal logging of protected forests around the Dai Ninh River in the central highlands is becoming increasingly brazen while a local forestry official says the problem is not due to poor management. Some 27,113 hectares of forest near the river are managed by the Dai Ninh Forest Management and Duc Trong Forest Management, under the Duc Trong District Forest Warden's Office in Lam Dong Province. Vu Gia Huan, head of the district Forest Warden's Office, said illegal logging had become more severe than ever. Illegal logging used to occur deep inside the forests but now even roadside trees were being illegally chopped down, said Do Xuan Kien, Communist Party Committee Secretary of Ta In Commune in Duc Trong District. Official statistics shows that 13.6 hectares of Duc Trong Forest were destroyed last year while 167 cases of illegal logging in the Dai Ninh Forest were reported. An official said illegal loggers came at night and could destroy large areas of forest in a few hours. He said his 14 rangers had to patrol 1,000 hectares of forest each, making it impossible to protect. Lo Mu Ha Soai, head of the Ta Hine Commune's Land Survey Department, said each commune had only one forestry official, whose salary was a mere VND500,000 (US$30). Vi Van Vam, head of the Dai Ninh Forest Management, said the rangers in Dai Ninh Forest had to work 12-18 hour days, instead of 8 hours a day as regulated by the government. Vam said illegal logging was on the rise due to lax punitive measures. He said that although hundreds of illegal logging cases had been reported, most loggers had gone un-punished. Nguyen Van Mao, head of the Duc Trong Forest Management, said two of his officials had resigned recently because they feared reprisals from loggers who had been caught. Mao admitted that hundreds of people in the district were illegal loggers, but denied that the problem was due to his poor management. http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/?catid=3 & newsid=39386 13) Ta Thia Son, head of Yahoa Village, said, " The forests here have owners but they are like forests without owners. People have been destroying them for many years now. " Deforestation in the environmentally valuable Yahoa forest over the past few years has been a tough problem to solve for local forest owners and rangers. The authorities are fighting a losing battle for the forest which is in Don Duong District in Lam Dong Province and borders with Ninh Son District of Ninh Thuan Province. When Thanh Nien visited the area, groups of up to 10 people were seen with chainsaws to fell trees and transport lumber in broad daylight. Every week, they exploit about 20 cubic meters of wood which earns them about VND3 million (US$187.5) each after costs. He estimated that hundreds of people with cattle-drawn carts and motorbikes enter the Yahoa forest for logging every day. The older trees, too big to put your arms around, had all been felled and now younger trees, 10-20 centimeters in diameter, were the main target. Aside from illegal logging in uncontracted areas, many companies leasing parts of the Yahoa forest from Lam Dong People's Committee have been hiring people to fell trees and level the land to cultivate cassava. In one section, dozens of people use chain saws to cut down young trees. Ung, a worker, said, " Hao Quang Company in Ho Chi Minh City hires Thuong, from Lam Ha District, Lam Dong Province, to fell trees and level the forest to grow cassava. " Ung and his group have instructions to fell more than 20,000 small trees (8-15 centimeters in diameter) and about 3,000 big trees. Small trees are sold to Lam Dong's capital of Da Lat for VND8,000-15,000 (50-94 cents) each. Other groups were cutting trees into sections to supply local paper mills. Vui, an employee from Truong My Quang Company in Ninh Thuan Province, said Hao Quang Company hired his company to plow the land and grow over 400 hectares of cassava during the next two months. " In the next few days, the company will send bulldozers and plowing machines here to level the site, " he said. At Subzone 329, Lam Dong-based Hiep Doan Company continued plowing the land and hired tens of people to grow cassava on 200 hectares. http://www.thanhniennews.com/features/?catid=10 & newsid=39313 Malaysia-Indonesia: 13) Right now palm oil is the second, behind soybean, most produced oil in world. It is estimated that within the next five years, palm oil will surpass soybean oil to become the leading vegetable oil produced. Malaysia and Indonesia are the two leading suppliers of palm oil, contributing 89% to the worlds demand. In the past 20 years the area devoted to plantations has increased by 43%. First, in 2006 the FDA began to require that companies label Trans fat in their products. Knowing that the consumer was aware of the dangers of Trans fat, they needed to switch to a healthier, inexpensive alternative. Well, at least something that seemed healthier. Enter palm oil. While it may not contain any Trans fat, it is high in saturated fat. As we all know, a diet high in saturated fat is bad for our heart and cholesterol. Next there has been a huge increase in the demand for biofuel. While North and South America get most of their biolfuel from soybean oil, there are a number of counties in Europe who use palm oil. By the year 2020 it is expected that the demand for palm oil will double. Because of this huge demand, thousands of acres of rainforest are being cut down every year to make way for new plantations. As a result, hundreds of animals are loosing their habit including the endangered Sumatran Tiger, Asian Elephant, Sumatran Rhinoceros and both the Sumatra and Borneo Orangutan. According to the March/April 2008 issue of Science Illustrated Magazine, if we continue at the current rate of deforestation, 98% of the rainforest in these areas will be destroyed by 2022. Not only are these animals lives being threaten by loosing their habitat but they are also being tortured and killed when they wander onto plantations looking for food. There have also been reports of bonuses being offered to workers who kill orangutans and behead them. Just a few of the reports of torture include orangutans having their hands and fingers cut off, being beat to death, gasoline poured on them and being lit on fire, as well as mothers being poached and their babies being sold on the black market. There have even been reports of these animals being used for prostitution and in some cases being buried alive. http://www.gardenmandy.com/rainforest-and-endangered-species-being-destroyed-by-\ palm-oil-indust ry/ Malaysia: 14) A month-long blockade of logging roads by indigenous people in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia set to protest illegal logging on their communal lands is about to be broken up by police. More than 100 indigenous Kenyah people gathered at the blockade site on the upper Moh River on the island of Borneo claim that the blockade is their only way of calling on representatives of the Samling Timber Company and government authorities to have a consultation and meet with them to listen to their problems and demands. Otherwise, they say, the Samling Timber Company will continue to ignore their demands and plights. According to the Borneo Resources Institute in Miri, which issued a statement today on behalf of the Kenyah peoples, ever since Samling started its logging operations in the upper Baram area, the indigenous communities have suffered the environmental impacts of logging. They say the company simply encroached into their communal land and forest areas to carry out logging activities, without any consultation and consideration for their source of livelihood. The Kenyahs have forwarded some " reasonable demands for social benefits and development of the community as they are the rights stakeholders that should be fairly benefit from forest resources in their area, " the Borneo Resources Institute says. The Kenyah say they resorted to the blockade action after the company and the state forest agency ignored their demands and their rights of access and claims to the benefits of their natural forest resources. Since the blockade was erected, Samling's logging activities have ceased. Hundreds of timber logs that had been felled are stacked up along the sides of the logging road because the Kenyahs have stopped all the logging trucks and other logging machines from entering the area and transporting timber from the area. On May 29, upon receiving complaints from the Samling Timber Company, a group of personnel from the Sarawak Forestry Corporation, went to the blockade site to remove the wooden barricades, but they were restrained from dismantling the blockade. As a result, the Sarawak Forestry Corporation filed a court action requesting a Warrant of Arrest, which has been granted by the Magistrate Court in Miri. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2008/2008-06-17-02.asp 15) Logging, forest conversion for palm oil, and hunting have triggered a precipitous drop in key wildlife populations in Malaysia's Lambir Hills National Park, on the island of Borneo, said a biologist speaking at a scientific conference in Paramaribo, Suriname. Rhett Harrison, a Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) associate researcher and Secretary for the Asia-Pacific Chapter of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), said that six of the park's seven species of hornbills have disappeared since 1980, while the number of carnivore, raptor, and primate species have also declined significantly. At least 11 mammal species and 23 bird species have been last from Lambir. Harrison said the losses appear to be having ecological impacts by affecting the reproductive capacities of trees dependent on animal dispersal of their seeds, particularly figs. Surprising Harrison also reported a decline in trees with seeds that are not dispersed by animals, suggesting that forces beyond hunting are impacting the forest. Harrison said that large-scale landscape changes, including a " massive contraction " of quality forest around Lambir are likely having an effect. Harrison said that conservation efforts at Lambir need to focus on law enforcement to protect wildlife from hunting and illegal incursions in the park. " There are large areas of good forest habitat that are empty of wildlife, " he said. " We need to focus on enforcement rather than habitat expansion efforts. " " Unles action is taken to restore the vertebrate community and establish buffer zones, a continued degradation of Lambir's forest can be expected. " Indonesia: 16) PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) paid at least Rp 6.4 billion (US$684,800) to exploit forests using illegal permits issued by Pelalawan Regent Tengku Azmun Jaafar, a court heard Friday. Hambali, a former official of the Pelalawan forestry office, testified that he and his partner had received money from PT Persada Karya Sejati (PKS), a subsidiary of RAPP that allegedly took over two plots of forest land illegally allocated for their two companies in 2005. " One of the companies, PT Harapan Jaya, is mine. The regent told me to use the company's name in applying for a forest resource utilization permit he was to issue later, " Hambali told the Corruption Court in Jakarta in a trial against the regent. " RAPP then took over the companies through PKS. We agreed because we didn't have any capital or equipment to cut down the trees. They later paid us with some of the money gained from the exploitation, " he said. Hambali told the court that he and his partner, Budi Surlani, had received a total of Rp 2.8 billion in early installments from Rosman, a general manager at RAPP who is at large, after the takeovers in July 2005. Hambali said at least Rp 1.5 billion went to Azmun and Rp 600 million to Asral Rahman, head of the Riau forestry office. Azmun has been suspended as Palelawang regent as he stands trial for illegally issuing authorization letters to 15 companies for the utilization of more than 120,000 hectares of forest in Pelalawan, Riau, in 2002 and 2003. The authorization letters, which gave permission to utilize planted forest resources, were later used to exploit natural forest by the companies. Prosecutors of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said the exploitation of the forest resources by the companies caused a total of Rp 1.2 trillion (US$128 million) in losses to the state. Seven of the companies were established by Azmun's relatives and acquaintances, and none of them met the criteria necessary for forestry enterprises in terms of financial and technical qualifications. http://aprilwatch.blogspot.com/2008/06/firm-paid-billions-for-illegal-logs.html 17) Australia and Indonesia agreed on Friday to work more closely on tackling deforestation and to deepen the security cooperation that has helped smooth ties between Canberra and its populous developing neighbour. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who flew in from Japan as part of a trip aimed at setting out his regional agenda, also floated his idea of developing an Asia-Pacific Community by 2020. Rudd and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed an agreement to combat greenhouse emissions from deforestation, estimated to account for 20 percent of man-made carbon emissions. " This is important for the future, " said Rudd, who inspected a red-coated presidential guard of honour at the colonial-style palace after being met by a thunderous gun salute. Indonesia, which hosted a U.N. climate change conference in December, has been a driving force behind calls for rich nations to compensate poor states that preserve their rainforests to soak up greenhouse gases. Rudd has also been attempting to lift Australia's green credentials after ratifying the Kyoto climate pact. The " Forest Carbon Partnership " agreement aims to provide long-term cooperation on helping Indonesia turn forest conservation into a tradable commodity -- potentially worth billions of dollars. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSJAK319429 18) Police in Jayapura, Papua, arrested six employees from two forestry companies for alleged illegal logging outside approved forest concession areas, causing Rp 234 billion (US$24.8 million) in losses to the state. The chief of detectives at the provincial police headquarters Sr. Comr. Paulus Waterpauw, said in Jayapura on Thursday that six suspects working for PT Kaltim Hutama and PT Centrico were arrested for alleged theft of 13,000 cubic meters of hard wood in Kaimana and Nabire regencies. " The suspects will be charged with violating the forestry law which carries a maximum 20-year jail sentence, " he said, adding that one of the suspects was a regional manager of PT Centrico. The cases will be processed and brought to court after the case files are completed, he said. http://redapes.org/news-updates/six-arrested-for-illegal-logging/ New Zealand: 19) " Oh mighty Father of the Forest, you have stood for 2000 years, you stand tall today - may you continue to stand and prosper. We bring you greetings from this whanau. " In the darkness, Dan's deep, disembodied voice rings out in a mihi (greeting), which reverberates through the dense canopy. We have reached the base of a giant tree. Te Matua Ngahere has to be seen to be believed. It is surely some unreal creation of Weta Workshops. A vast wall of timber that reminds me more of a cliff face than a tree. Where a normal round trunk would taper as it reaches skywards towards the life-giving light, this monster has spread sideways with an obscenely wide waist. The Father of the Forest is one of the largest living things in the world. A businessman recently took the Twilight Encounter Tour and was moved to recite a Chinese poem. " Tell me and I will forget, show me and I will remember, but involve me and I will understand. " I identify with this philosophy and already feel involved with this giant kauri. Joe tells us actress/singer Bette Midler was a recent guest. When he gave the instruction to " Open your eyes and behold the giant, " she nearly fell over backwards with the surprise of seeing this tree. Ms Midler wrote in the comments register: " What lucky people we are - we loved it all. " Retracing our steps by torchlight, our little group arrives at another place of great significance. A powerful voice carries the expressive tones of the Maori language far up into the canopy, which is silhouetted against the palest blue vestige of twilight in the sky. " Maori believe that you, Tane Mahuta, are the God of the Forest. You created all life. " In the beginning, there was darkness as our parents Papatuanuku, Mother Earth and Ranginui, Sky Father, were locked in eternal embrace. " Only you, great Tane, had the strength to force Ranginui skywards to allow light to enter our world. " We look up, following the beam of Dan's spotlight and stand dwarfed and humbled by his " Lordship " , Tane Mahuta. Paying homage to the 1400-year-old Lord of the Forest is the highlight of our twilight encounter. He is truly a giant, towering 51m into the sky, ramrod straight and beautifully symmetrical. He was already a giant when the first Maori voyager, Kupe, arrived in the Hokianga. His primordial forest is a living link with the age of the dinosaurs. Remarkably, this magnificent tree is only three minutes' walk from the highway. http://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/travel/9777/a-panoply-canopy-nz039s-ancient-fores\ ts?page=0%2C1 Australia: 20) Police and Emergency Management Minister Jim Cox yesterday said revised protocols were a response to increased environmental protests in Tasmania. Members of the special squad were drawn from search and rescue services and public order response teams from around the state before having training with the Tasmania Fire Service last November. Mr Cox said police district commanders had been notified of the new team available to assist at incidents. " I have no doubt it will greatly assist in ensuring all parties involved, both to reduce risk and hazard when engaged in these types of protest actions, " he said. The new protocols have been incorporated in amendments to the police manual. Mr Cox said although the past manual did address police action at demonstrations and industrial disputes, it did not provide specific directions for forestry protests. " When a report is made of tree-sitting or similar activities the attending police officer is to make an assessment of the situation to determine if the action is impeding the lawful activities of others, which will then determine the level of police response, " he said. Negotiation was always the first resolution because it minimised the risk of injury to protesters, police, forestry workers and the public. " Deliberate action to extract people from these situations is only to be undertaken by trained personnel, " Mr Cox said. http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,23882840-3462,00.html 21) The Tasmanian government is under pressure from the Greens to reject Gunns Ltd's request to extend a construction deadline that is part of an agreement critical to the company's controversial Tamar Valley pulp mill. Treasurer Michael Aird said today Cabinet would decide if it will extend a construction start-up deadline in its sovereign risk agreement with Gunns to November 30 this year. The previous deadline under the agreement, which provides government protections for the $2 billion project, was June 30. " Departmental advice on this matter is currently being sought,'' Mr Aird said. " The matter will then be considered by Cabinet.'' The sovereign risk agreement provides for government compensation if certain essential operational elements for the mill are made unavailable by an act of parliament - particularly the supply of wood. Tasmanian Greens leader Peg Putt said the request was a test for new Premier David Bartlett as to whether he will live up to his claim that Gunns should not need more government help now. The five-month extension to construction deadlines was more evidence the project was in trouble, she said. The controversial sovereign risk agreement committed public funds to Gunns if changes to wood supply occurred in the future, she said. " Gunns has lost no time in leaning on the new premier to help bail out their sinking ship of a pulp mill project which is clearly in trouble because of financing difficulties,'' Ms Putt said. " The question on lips across Tasmania is will Bartlett stand by his claim that Gunns needs no further help from the Tasmanian government or will he now emulate (former premier) Paul Lennon in coming to their aid again? " The controversial sovereign risk deal met with a huge public outcry when it was belatedly made known that the public purse had been secretly committed to bail the company out if wood supply changed any time in the next 20 years, and now the new premier has the perfect chance to dump this odious arrangement.'' Previously, Mr Bartlett has appeared to distance himself from the mill after his predecessor Mr Lennon was its strong supporter. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23881635-29277,00.html 22) DESPAIRING Mission Beach conservationists are calling for a ban on clearing any rainforest in their town in a last-ditch effort to stop new subdivisions on densely forested land. Southern developers want to turn 24ha of rainforest above the Tully-Mission Beach Rd, near Mission Circle at Wongaling Beach, into 40 residential lots in the latest application to outrage long-time residents. Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation (C4) vice-president Liz Gallie said the Daintree buy-back scheme had saved rainforest north of Cairns, but there was nothing in place at Mission Beach. " We live in one of only three areas in the Far North recognised in the FNQ 2020 plan, and again in the 2025 draft plan, as being of priority biodiversity, " she said. " But they still offer no protection for most of the remaining rainforest in urban areas. " We desperately need something, whether it's a similar buy-back of private land by the Government or covenants over areas classified as essential cassowary habitat by the Environmental Protection Authority. " The latest subdivision proposal is for an area identified as needing a cassowary habitat corridor. The proposal includes limiting clearing on each lot to 1000sqm and imposing environmental covenants on about 80 per cent of the land. Ms Gallie said the forest bordered World Heritage land and was a crucial link with lowland rainforest for the endangered cassowaries. " We know it is home to at least three cassowaries that are already up against it, " she said. " Loss of habitat is the number one threat for them. " The development application has been referred to the Federal Government's Department of the Environment. Public comments can be made until Friday. http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2008/06/18/4680_local-news.html 23) Conservationists have welcomed a review of agreements for logging the region's state forests but say it is five years overdue. The Department for Climate Change and the Environment is to look at how well forest agreements are working in the state's north-east, as well as the southern and Eden regions. The North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) says the study was scheduled for 2003, five years after the agreements were put in place. NEFA's Carmel Flint says it is crucial the Government does a thorough job. " It remains to be seen whether they'll look at timber volumes, we suspect they won't, but we consider it to be crucial, " she said. " This review is important to the environment, the Government can deliver some good outcomes and improve the environmental situation and we really need that in the context of climate change. " Forests are at great risk from climate change and so are the threatened species up here. " Meanwhile, the director of the department's resource and conservation unit, Ian Cranwell, says there is a limited amount of ground the review can cover. He says legislation governing the industry means that allocated timber volumes will not be reviewed. " It's important to remember that the Government isn't looking at major changes, " he said. " It's given the community an undertaking that there'll be 20 years' certainty for the environment and the timber industry in these decisions. " The review is about making sure that's happening, it's not about changing it. " http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/18/2277925.htm 24) In a move welcomed by the Wilderness Society, the State Budget has cut off significant public funds for Gunns' proposed pulp mill. " The pipeline of taxpayer dollars to Gunns' proposed pulp mill has been blocked, " said Wilderness Society Campaign Manager, Geoff Law. " There's no provision in the Budget for the pipeline, for the wharf or for the road interchange. " " A $12-million grant for an interchange on the East Tamar Highway to service the pulp mill was in earlier drafts of the Budget two weeks ago. Its demise is evidence that Mr Bartlett is keeping to his pledge not to provide direct finance to the pulp mill. " In the Treasurer's speech to Parliament, the pulp mill was not mentioned. " The pulp mill has become the major project that dare not speak its name, " said Mr Law. " Today's Budget is another nail in its coffin. " However, Mr Law said that the provision of $23 million for a 'tourist road' through the Tarkine rainforests was disturbing, destructive and provocative. The road, to be built by Forestry Tasmania, would cut through significant tracts of untouched rainforest. " In March, the Tarkine rainforests were close to being incinerated by a fire that started on another poorly conceived tourist road in the Tarkine that was built in 1995, " said Mr Law. " It's less than three months after the vegetation stopped smouldering and now the government wants to build another road. " " The proposal to hack a Forestry Tasmania road through the Tarkine rainforests is clearly a legacy of former Premier Paul Lennon and his top bureaucrat Evan Rolley. It should be axed. " http://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/tas-pulp-mill-bartlett-cuts-supply 25) Logging is set to resume on Wielangta Hill (WT 19D), in swift parrot habitat, any day. On Monday 2 June, Channel 7 News (Sydney) filmed Wielangta Hill and the contentious coupes from the air and on the ground. The footage was NOT shown in Tasmanian although it was shown everywhere else. Enviro groups unite to stop Tas logging http://cosmos.bcst./up/player/popup/index.php?cl=8161251 26) There has been no logging here for 3 years due to the Federal Court proceedings – for full background briefing go to: www.on-trial.info In brief, Forestry Tasmania's appeal to the full bench of the Federal Court was upheld last November. Horrendously for our threatened wildlife, it was established that once a 20-year regional forestry agreement was signed by state and federal governments, the impact of logging could continue if both signatories agreed to allow it. Under federal law (the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act clause 102), Mr Garrett has the power to intervene to prevent logging of old growth and rainforest. So far he has failed to do so. What is on trial now is the effectiveness of the EPBC Act. Does our Federal Government intend to stand by and accept there is nothing the responsible Minister (Peter Garrett) can do to prevent the impact of logging because the EPBC Act " does not apply " ? Alarmingly, in May, Senator Bob Brown lost his application to the High Court to appeal the Federal Court's decision. Forestry Tasmania's intentions are to log WT 19D. We have obtained the (current) Forest Practices Plan and there appear to be no changes. Logging is imminent in a coupe that has some of the best Swift Parrot habitat, as Peter Brown advised the Federal Court.This is a matter of huge public importance with far-reaching implications for Australia's natural environment. The RFA has zero credibility although, for threatened species, the bar has been lifted for every other activity. This is nothing short of scandalous. We need to alert all those who would stand up for our threatened species, the Federal Court Judgement of December 2006, and the courageous Senator Bob Brown. Please write letters to our politicians (the Premier, the Minister for Forests) now, send donations to SEFPG, c/o Sally Meredith, PO Box 420, Sorell 7172 for the " Wielangta Red Alert Fund " and stand at the ready to defend the forests once again. http://www.nativeforest.net/?p=8 27) Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) has today been accused by The Wilderness Society of stealing $3.5 million promised by Premier Iemma to crack down on illegal landclearing. The funding was provided last year to expand satellite monitoring but has been diverted to fund other programs. " Landclearing is still an enormous problem in NSW " says Timothy King, State Campaign Manager for The Wilderness Society. " Landclearing creates greenhouse gas pollution1 and causes salinity, destroys rivers and kills wildlife " . In 2006 the Premier committed an additional $3.5 million every year to extend satellite monitoring to end broadscale landclearing. Satellite monitoring is the only effective way of tracking the extent and location of illegal land clearing. This commitment was reiterated by Minister Firth last week when said $3.5 million was in the budget 'for high resolution satellite imagery to help stamp out illegal clearing'. However TWS has uncovered that DECC has decided to ignore the Premier's commitment and simply spend the money elsewhere. " Instead of using that money to expand its monitoring of landclearing using high resolution imagery in key areas of the State DECC is using the money to fund a new vegetation mapping program – this money - $3.5 million every year - has effectively been stolen. " " Despite the Premier's personal commitment to tackle the problem of landclearing, DECC has no idea how much clearing is occurring. " " While the Environment Minister is hosting drinks for environment groups in the Botanical Gardens to discuss future priorities, her own Department is diverting money given to tackle an existing problem. Minister Firth needs to ask her Department why it is has stopped regular satellite monitoring of landclearing across key areas of the State " . 1 Landclearing in NSW is estimated to create 11.4 million tonnes of CO2 every year - equivalent to keeping an additional 2.4 million cars on our roads. http://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/money-gone 28) TASMANIAN Premier David Bartlett has backed away from his willingness to consider expanding forest reserves, telling The Weekend Australian that he now rules it out. Mr Bartlett had suggested he was open to the protection of more forests, even expressing a desire to visit contentious unprotected forests. However, he has now sought to reassure the forestry industry, which had expressed nervousness at the prospect. " While many of the parameters around forestry are subject to change over time, I do not see the amount of protected land being one of them, " he said. Mr Bartlett's comments are a huge blow to the conservation movement, which had seen his premiership and comments on " parameter changes " as a sign that further areas of the Upper Florentine, Weld and Styx valleys might be protected. The Forest Industries Association of Tasmania, however, is relieved, fearing talk of further forest " lock-ups " eroded the certainty created through the 2005 Community Forest Agreement. The industry, which lost a valuable supporter in Paul Lennon when he quit as premier last month, was disappointed at Mr Bartlett's first forest-related policy decision: to limit the expansion of tree plantations on the best farming land. Mr Bartlett cited this policy as the kind of parameter change facing the industry, and said that climate change and the use of forests as carbon sinks might also bring about change. " These are very complex things - and not things I'm prepared to put a stake in the ground about right now until I have all the data before me, " he said. " I'll be doing that in the coming months ... The point is that I believe we need to innovate in all our traditional industries. " FIAT and The Wilderness Society are seeking meetings with Mr Bartlett to clarify what " parameter changes " for forestry he has in mind. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23861126-2702,00.html 29) Wilderness Society is delighted at the turnout for the pulpmill pipeline public meeting in Launceston last night. The venue and adjacent carparks were packed as over 500 people attended the meeting at the Tailrace Centre, despite wet windy weather. Speakers Buck Emberg, Trudy Maluga, Gerard Castles, Jeremy Ball and Geoff Law welcomed Premier Bartlett's new era of transparency, cleverness and kindness and spoke strongly against further state-government subsidies for Gunns' proposed pulp mill. The audience strengthened several draft resolutions put to the meeting and put them into a motion that was moved by Launceston Alderman Ted Sands, seconded by Launceston Alderman Ian Norton and unanimously accepted. This meeting calls on the Tasmanian State Government to: 1) Withdraw its support for Gunns' proposed pulp mill, given that major negative impacts of the mill on Tasmania's communities, Aboriginal Heritage, fresh water, forests, airbourne emisssions, other industries and economy have not been assessed; 2) Remove any direct or indirect public subsidies for, or associated with the pulp mill or its infrastructure, including the proposed pipeline, wharf and road interchange; 3) Rule out any compulsory acquisition of private property for the purposes of facilitating the provision of infrastructure for the proposed pulp mill; 4) Engage in dialogue with all groups concerned about the future of Tasmania's natural assets, including our forests, air, water, land and wildlife; 5) Establish an independent anti-corruption watchdog with retrospective investigative powers with no exemptions; 6) Repeal the Pulp Mill Assessment Act 2007. http://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/500-pack-pulpmill-public-meeting 30) " Traveling Stock Routes are the last remaining corridors of vegetation in some of our most degraded landscapes. They are an important part of our rural history and important biodiversity reservoirs. They provide vital wildlife corridors, are critical for many migratory birds and give protection against the impacts of climate change " says Cecile van der Burgh from The Wilderness Society. Travelling stock routes in NSW are Crown lands and are managed by Rural Land Protection Boards on behalf of the community. But the Boards are not being sufficiently funded by government and today's report recommends responsibility for the Stock Routes be given over to the Department of Lands. " The Department of Lands cannot manage the exceptional ecological and cultural values of the Stock Route Network and it is in the process of selling off large tracts of our public crown land " , says Ms van der Burgh. " We are urging the Premier to protect the extraordinary ecological and cultural values of the whole network and keep the routes actively managed by the current local rangers and in public ownership " , she said. The area of stock routes in NSW has already been reduced from over 2 million ha in 1975 to less than 600,000 ha in 2001. " The Premier should follow the example of the Queensland government which has promised not to sell off Stock Routes in its jurisdiction " , says Bev Smiles of the National Parks Association. " If the Premier is serious about his State Plan, serious about tackling climate change and serious about the environment he should immediately commit to the long term protection of these iconic routes " , Ms Smiles said. The RLPB review is available at: http://www.rlpb.org.au/news/review-recommendations-set-the-future-for-rlpbs - http://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/nsw-travelling-stock 31) The Department of Environment and Climate Change has defended its new code of practice for logging on private lands. The North Coast Environment Council has criticised the practice, saying that more than 100,000 hectares of land has been approved for logging in the past 10 months. It says approvals can be given with little public scrutiny, and old-growth forest and sensitive habitats could be at risk. The department's Tom Grosskots says details of all private land approved for logging is on the department's website and says the number of approvals will eventually level out. " That represents the approvals across NSW and is bringing a previously unregulated industry into this regulation framework, " he said. " So we have always expected that there will be a large number early on as the industry adjusts and becomes regulated, but the growth in that number will slow dramatically. " http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/13/2273576.htm 32) Wilderness Society (TWS) has welcomed the declaration of Cape York Peninsula's first Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) as a visionary approach to conservation that will provide protection for tropical rainforests, savanna woodlands and rare and endangered species such as the Southern Cassowary and Freshwater Sawfish. Mr. Anthony Esposito, spokesperson for TWS, said " The Kaanju traditional owners in central Cape York Peninsula are showing the way forward for conservation in Cape York and Northern Australia. They have built a sustainable future based on caring for country since returning to their traditional homelands nearly 20 years ago. " The Kaanju Ngaachi Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) was declared today at Chuulangun on Kaanju homelands by Traditional Owners, protecting 197,500 hectares of Aboriginal freehold land in north eastern Cape York Peninsula. It is Australia's 25th IPA, but the first on Cape York Peninsula. Indigenous Protected Areas are part of the Commonwealth Government's National Reserve System program in which traditional owners and Government work together to protect conservation values on Aboriginal land. The new IPA will be managed under a plan developed by Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation – a Kaanju Traditional Owner organisation. Initiatives undertaken by Chuulangun are having major biodiversity conservation benefits as well as creating jobs and providing training, capacity building and sustainable business opportunities. TWS works with Chuulangun through a Cooperation Agreement in support of environmental protection and homelands development. Mr. Esposito said the conservation values of the new Indigenous Protected Area include extensive areas of tropical rainforest, open savanna, riverine environments and an extensive lagoon system centred on the Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers. " This is a great outcome for the protection of the superlative environmental values of the region and for the traditional owners. Chuulangun is a not waiting for Government to deliver but rather are leading the way themselves. " " Together we are working to promote an innovative and cutting edge approach to conservation in Northern Australia. " Mr. Esposito concluded. http://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/first-indig-protected-area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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