Resources Supporting the Great Southern Forest's
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RESOURCES SUPPORTING THE GREAT SOUTHERN FOREST’S SUBMISSION TO THE NSW DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES ON EXPIRATION OF THE REGIONAL FOREST AGREEMENTS “This is the only sensible way forward on forests.” Dr Judith Ajani, Economist, Australian National University, Fenner School of Environment and Society. Photo 1: Bega River mouth to Mumbulla and Gulaga mountains, the late Richard Green "This work looks really impressive and important. I admire your work in this area immensely." Professor Tim Flannery, Chief Director, Climate Council Researcher & primary author: Author: Dr Rosemary Beaumont Dr Bronte Somerset . National Parks Association Far South Coast Adviser: Heather Kenway, Branch . Australian Forests & Climate Alliance . SERCA . SERCA Author: Kim Taysom Marketing Manager: Paul Payten . National Parks Association Far South Coast . National Trust Far South Coast Branch Branch Submitted to the DPI on behalf of The Great Southern Forest and The National Parks Association Far South Coast Branch by Dr Bronte J Somerset, Founder, GSF http://www.greatsouthernforest.org.au [email protected] 12TH March 2018 © (2018) Great Southern Forest 2 CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY ............................................................................................ 6 ABOUT THESE RESOURCES .............................................................................................................. 6 GSF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................. 6 THE TRUTH .................................................................................................................................... 8 PREFACE ................................................................................................................................... 8 A CASE FOR CHANGE IN THE SOUTH EAST FORESTS OF NSW .................................................... 10 CONSERVATION BENEFITS ............................................................................................................. 10 KOALA—THE FLAG BEARER ........................................................................................................... 11 UNCERTAINTY IN THE MARKET ........................................................................................................ 11 OPPORTUNITIES ........................................................................................................................... 11 MORAL RESPONSIBILITY ................................................................................................................ 12 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 13 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 14 RETHINKING FOREST MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................... 16 INITIATING A PARADIGM SHIFT ........................................................................................................ 17 RESTORING FORESTS FOR WILDLIFE ................................................................................................ 17 ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES ................................................................................................................ 18 CARBON COULD FUND JOBS .......................................................................................................... 19 FOREST MANAGEMENT FOR SPECIES UNDER THREAT ................................................................ 21 PROTECTING OUR ICONIC KOALA FROM EXTINCTION IN SOUTH EAST NSW ......................................... 22 HOLLOWS-DEPENDENT SPECIES ..................................................................................................... 29 BURROWS-DEPENDENT SPECIES ..................................................................................................... 33 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 36 FOREST MANAGEMENT FOR CARBON AND CLIMATE ................................................................... 38 CARBON PROTECTION ................................................................................................................... 38 CARBON LOSS ............................................................................................................................. 39 SOLUTIONS TO CARBON LOSS ........................................................................................................ 39 BIOMASS BURNING: A PERVERSE WAY TO MEET RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGETS ................................... 45 FORESTS: A PATTERN CHANGER FOR CLIMATE ACTION ...................................................................... 47 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 48 FOREST MANAGEMENT FOR OUR HEALTH .................................................................................. 49 FOREST MANAGEMENT FOR TOURISM ........................................................................................ 51 POST-LOGGING TOURISM INDUSTRY ............................................................................................... 52 TOURIST ACTIVITIES WITH NEW JOBS ............................................................................................... 53 TOURISM BENEFITS IN OTHER COUNTRIES POST NATIVE FOREST LOGGING .......................................... 54 BENEFITS AND OPPORTUNITIES ...................................................................................................... 57 EXPANSION .................................................................................................................................. 59 CHALLENGING ISSUES .................................................................................................................. 59 3 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 59 FOREST MANAGEMENT FOR BIODIVERSITY ................................................................................ 60 HABITAT AND SPECIES LOSS .......................................................................................................... 60 THE CHANGING INTEGRITY OF STATE FORESTS ................................................................................. 64 FOREST FRAGMENTATION .............................................................................................................. 69 LOGGING BREACHES .................................................................................................................... 71 WATER, SOIL AND DOWNSTREAM MARINE HEALTH ............................................................................ 75 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 77 SOCIAL DISCONTENT IN THE SOUTHERN FORESTS ..................................................................... 78 START OF WOODCHIPPING ............................................................................................................. 78 INADEQUACY OF THE REGIONAL FOREST AGREEMENTS ..................................................................... 80 CONTENTIOUSNESS OF LOGGING OF NATIVE FORESTS ...................................................................... 82 CASE STUDIES .............................................................................................................................. 85 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 89 THE IMPACT OF LOGGING ON FOREST FIRE ................................................................................ 90 LOGGING AFFECTS THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF FORESTS TO FIRE ............................................................ 90 FIRE HAS AN IMPACT ON SPECIES’ SURVIVAL .................................................................................... 92 IMPACT OF POST-LOGGING BURNING ON TREES LEFT STANDING ........................................................ 93 LOGGING NEAR TOWNS INCREASES FIRE RISK TO COMMUNITIES ........................................................ 94 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................... 95 RECOGNISING THE BEAUTY OF NATURE .................................................................................... 96 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 98 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................ 99 APPENDIX A: THREATENED FAUNAL SPECIES AND EXTINCT FAUNAL SPECIES ...................................... 99 APPENDIX B: CALCULATIONS OF ACTUAL LOSS OF CO2 AND SOIL FROM LOGGING ACTIVITIES ............ 103 APPENDIX C: FORESTSNSW. ALLEGATIONS, FAILINGS AND PENALTIES ........................................... 106 APPENDIX D: SYNOPSIS OF THE FILM UNDERSTOREY (2016) ......................................................... 108 REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................