On the Horizon 23C: The State Forests of Western Mass

https://novatopflex.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/on-the-horizon-23c-the-state-forests-of-western-mass/

Hundreds rally against plan to establish more National Parks in Victoria

No SUVs, no dirt bikes, no hunting, no fishing, no prospecting fears - just biodiversity?

"Australians protest against plans to create more national parks in Victoria. They have gathered in Victoria's West Gippsland region to protest against a proposal to turn several state forests into a National Park.The proposal follows the closure of the logging industry and consultation into how that land should be used."
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-26/national-parks-state-forest-rally/103894648
#biodiversity #conservation #NationalParks #StateForests #Australia #Victoria #LoggingIndustry #TAKECulture

Loggers assaulted environmentalists in NSW forest

"It's been three-and-a-half years since Mark Graham and Andre Johnston were assaulted on a public road during a day trip to the Wild Cattle Creek State Forest, where logging was under way."

"On Monday, the pair got their day in court with a Coffs Harbour magistrate finding two employees of Greensill Bros had committed common assault."

"Mr Graham has told AAP he was dismissed by police when he went to report the assault in June 2020 and was instead to go and "get a job"."
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https://au.news.yahoo.com/loggers-assaulted-environmentalists-nsw-forest-042102462.html
#NSWLogging #ForestryCorporation #corruption #violence #law #StateForests #NativeForests #WildCattleCreek

End of native timber industry clears way for Great Forest National Park

Hunters, firewood collectors, prospectors and horse and trail-bike riders can no longer access the 300,000 hectares of state forest.

> PAYWALL
https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=WTWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.weeklytimesnow.com.au%2Fnews%2Fvictoria%2Flocked-out-300000ha-of-state-forest-to-be-turned-into-national-park%2Fnews-story%2F74d5cbe9375834510e21546d27178f01&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium
#NativeForests #StateForests #LoggingIndustry #extraction #biodiversity #GreatForestNationalPark

Koalas in a sustainable timber industry habitat - gov update

"The establishment of the advisory panels is another important step towards the NSW Government’s commitment to save koalas in the wild. This will be done while balancing the need to have a sustainable timber industry. $80 million has been committed to the Great Koala National Park in the 2023–24 NSW Budget."

"Timber harvesting operations have stopped in 106 koala hubs within the areas being assessed for inclusion in the park. Koala hubs are areas where there is strong evidence of multi-generational, high-density populations of the iconic animal. These areas account for 42% of recorded koala sightings in s t a t e f o r e s t s in the assessment area since 2000."

"The industry, community and Aboriginal advisory panels will ensure we consult with all stakeholders, to create a park that will both protect our native animals and create job, tourism and other economic opportunities on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales."

All well and good!?
#SaveTuckersNob #biodiversity
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https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/update-on-the-creation-of-the-great-koala-national-park
#LoggingIndustry #NSWLogging #BellingenLogging #consultation #TheGreatKoalaNationalPark #StopLogging #StateForests #koalas #BiodiversityCrisis

Bellingen core koala habitat and denial 1/2

Australia's foundation rests on the erroneous act of 'terra nullius'. The British declared the continent ‘vacant’, ‘without settled inhabitants or settled law’. The denial of the existence of the Indigenous peoples and their cultures has detrimental consequences right into the 21 century.

Similarly, all that is impeding on settlers' livestock or crop interests is declared a pest and usually leads to the eradication of Australian endemic flora and fauna.

Land use for extractive purposes, such as monoculture plantations, often has remnants of native vegetation and with time endemic wildlife populate these habitats. The Australian government, having signed various international commitments to biodiversity and climate transition, is under pressure to conform to these environmental agreements.

Endangered or threatened species could pose an 'obstacle' to traditional 'business as usual' such as logging, deforestation and clear felling operations. Then it is best to not acknowledge the existence of these animals and plants.

This could take the form of maps (Koala habitat maps seem to not cover State forests in NSW ) and a database glitch could possibly erase data collected by citizen scientists. Or the State Forest corporation could just be a priori exempt from having to address biodiversity flora and fauna. Managed data sparsity also could lead one to a conclusion that 'nothing lives there.' Koalas in this case are non-existent. In an obstacle free plantation, clear felling can take place with a good conscience. Should a glider or koala stray into the native forest it might just become 'collateral damage' in the normal 'harvesting' operations.

>Bellingen core koala habitat and denial 2/2
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/111118750606893004

#TerraNullius #koalas #StateForests #ForestryCorporation #NSWLogging #ClearFelling #BellingenLogging #SaveTuckersNob #denial #biodiversity #extinction #BiodiversityEmergency #ClimateEmergency #biodiversity

Bellingen core koala habitat and denial 2/2

Koalas then appear to be non-existent for SFs but do exist on private land and are acknowledged on the Bellingen core koala habitat map for example and private land.

Denialism is a position that systematically reacts by refusing reality. The uncomfortable state of cognitive dissonance is when pledges and agreements are signed and the actions don't line up. A denialism mindset can just discount inconvenient facts and public opinion and press on with business as usual.

The house of cards built over the last 200 – 500 years is collapsing. Biodiversity, its foundation, is eroding and the climatic environment becomes increasingly hostile to (human) life.

As long as the paper work looks good, the PR framing is cogent and the institutional framework is consenting, it's 'just do it!'

All could be so perfect if it was not for the disruptive human factor which poses an obstacle to the overuse of nature. To declare that the non-human natural world has a right to exist. To write the rights of (voiceless) nature into constitutions and force decision makers to end genocide and ecocide.

>Bellingen core koala habitat and denial 1/2
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/111118752714054883

#koalas #StateForests #ForestryCorporation #NSWLogging #denial #ecocide #nature #genocide #BiodiversityEmergency #ClimateEmergency #governance

Today I hiked the Rock Shelter Trail at Morgan Monroe State Forest. I remember hiking this for the first time about a year ago. It was my first real hike. I had only a paper map (which I lost). I remember thinking that the rock shelter was probably a man-made structure. Much to my surprise, it was a beautiful rock overhang.... What a difference a year makes. The hike was much easier this year, even though I forgot my trekking poles!

#hiking #stateforests

So far only 5 % of the promised Great Koala National Park will not be logged.
Too little and too late...

The harvesting operations should be "halted beyond the koala hubs, which protected koala habitats within state forests. Of the 175,000 hectares, we are talking the less than a third of the state forest areas where compartments include koala hubs. The koala hubs are a good start, but we need to go a bit further than that." National Parks Association New South Wales president Grahame Douglas

"NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said logging was stopped on Friday and consultation on the next steps in establishing the park was to begin immediately."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-12/nsw-government-stops-timber-harvesting-koala-hubs/102844954

Now for consultation process>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/111050546782684016

#consultation #NSW #logging #biodiversity #StateForests #TheGreatKoalaNationalPark #SaveTuckersNob #GumbaynggirrCountry

Image: Tuckers Nob SF, #Bellingen, #koala habitat