My husband Kerry and I share the view of the majority of Tasmanians that the logging of high conservation native forests should not be allowed to happen.

Our view is based on working in a forest-based industry for 39 years and making scores of visits to see for ourselves the unsustainable forest practices taking place within mature old forests such as the Upper Florentine Valley.

We are saddened by the adverse environmental impact current logging practices have on our community and the planet, and we are sickened by the destruction of irreplaceable forests.

Imagine the outcry if bulldozers were to destroy the ruins of Port Arthur, which is such an important part of Tasmania’s cultural heritage, and yet the forests of the Upper Florentine Valley, part of our natural heritage and dating back thousands of years, are allowed to be destroyed for short-term economic gain.

My husband and I have witnessed the brutal and unforgiving techniques of clearfell logging first hand, we’ve seen cable logging, and the results of aggregated retentions, siltation of streams and waste created by clearfells.

We have heard an ancient eucalypt dynamited out of the ground and reduced to rubble, along with the wet forest creatures we knew were living in its mighty hollows.

We have witnessed unnatural, high-temperature burns following logging operations, burns that incinerate valuable “special species” timbers along with any wildlife that managed to survive the initial logging.

On occasions, we have rescued badly-injured animals, including an echidna with burns so terrible it was barely alive. These are just some of the sickening, real images we have in our minds of what forest managers call “world’s best practice”.

We have found the impacts of clearfell logging to be extremely severe, and believe that this is ethically, morally and scientifically wrong, outrageous and utterly unacceptable in the 21st century.

Especially so, now that the climate science has demonstrated that protecting our native vegetation and associated soil carbon banks is crucial in our defence against global climate change.

The Upper Florentine Valley was where the last Tasmanian tigers were caught, and should remain a reminder of past misdoings. Do we want to go down the same path and deny our grandchildren these ancient old growth forests?

It is totally unnecessary in our view to destroy these ancient forests when there are enough plantations and regrowth forest to cover the needs of the local community and overseas markets.

Please stand up for the Florentine’s ancient native forests and the wildlife that makes these forests their home.

- Bron

“To sit and be still at the base of a forest giant,
To see and feel the life that surrounds you and permeates your soul,
To experience the peace and harmony,
Then you will understand why people battle to save these ancient native forests.”
- Kerry

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