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Yahoo
19-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Irreplaceable 6.5-hectare forest protected for future generations of Aussies
A speck of ancient forest, feared to be at imminent risk of destruction, is on the verge of being protected for future generations of Australians. Described as 'magical', the 6.5-hectare fragment of NSW Mid North Coast bush is remarkable because it remains intact and has never been harvested for timber. Earlier this month, conservationists were becoming increasingly concerned it could be bulldozed because a company owned by the NSW Government had earmarked the wider area for harvesting this year. Located at the edge of the 1,000-hectare Viewmont State Forest, the wilderness is blessed with towering eucalypts that are home to species threatened with extinction, including koalas and yellow-bellied gliders. Dailan Pugh, a spokesperson for the North East Forest Alliance (NEFA), said it's one of the region's 'last remaining coastal stands of intact forest'. Dr Stuart Blanch, conservation scientist at World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia (WWF), explained that some of these hollows that provide shelter for gliders would have taken 200 years or more to form. 'They're like gold. Stands of giant trees are far too priceless to be logged. They can't be replaced in our lifetime or our children's lifetime,' he said. Forest could be included in Great Koala National Park Government analysis indicates NSW is on track to lose 50 per cent of its threatened species in the next century, and its wild koalas will be wiped out in 25 years. While both koalas and yellow-bellied gliders are federally protected threatened species, state governments controversially have an exemption to log their habitat. While native forest logging has largely ceased on state-owned land in Victoria and Western Australia, the Minns Labor government continues to back the industry in NSW. And the state-owned Forestry Corporation is in charge of deciding which areas should be harvested. The 6.5 hectares of old-growth forest and the surrounding Viewmont State Forest are being considered to be part of the proposed 315,000-hectare Great Koala National Park (GKNP), a project Labor committed to before its election in 2023. The scheme would see a string of fragmented national parks joined together by protecting state-owned land that's currently subject to logging. Around 176,000 hectares of state forest are being assessed for inclusion in the park, which it is hoped will help slow the extinction of koalas in NSW. But in the meantime timber continues to be harvested from these areas, angering conservationists who have called for a moratorium until its borders are finalised. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe or Premier Chris Minns are yet to advise when the GKNP will be delivered. Questions to Sharpe's office from Yahoo News were redirected to her department, which said the GKNP 'will be delivered', although it did not specify when. 'There has been a comprehensive assessment process which considers environmental, economic, social, ecological and cultural issues,' it said in an email. 'All of the inputs are being finalised so government can create the park.' Experts frustrated by 'complex' forestry rules What's proving a challenge is understanding which parts of state forest are eligible to be logged. They want to ensure high-value forests aren't destroyed before the GKNP is created, as this could lessen its ability to protect koalas. The 6.5 hectares were not earmarked for protection until 2025, but it extends out of Bowraville Nature Reserve which was protected in the 1960s. Both areas have the same value to wildlife and the ecosystem. Even experts at large environmental groups like WWF-Australia and smaller outfits like NEFA find it a challenge to understand the state's harvest plans for these parks. Looking at a map alone is often not enough, and it has taken Yahoo weeks to establish whether the 6.5-hectare old-growth forest in Viewmont State Forest was protected in perpetuity. Part of the problem was that publicly available maps aren't scheduled to be updated for the area until late in 2025, even though decisions were internally made in January and February to retain it. Its protection won't be formalised until operations resume and Forestry Corporation returns to the area, which it said is 'subject to weather and logistical considerations'. Pugh argues this highlights the "frustration" he feels around "navigating the complexities of forestry regulations". "The situation is opaque, and it's often not clear to us what Forestry is doing," he told Yahoo. Call to bring mapping 'confusion' to an end Another problem is that complicated rules have evolved over decades of discussion between the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Forestry Corporation, multiple levels of government and the courts. And this has resulted in confusing regulations and jargon that only experts understand. For instance, the 6.5-hectare old-growth forest is marked in pink on maps as a 'non-harvest area', a designation that means it won't be immediately logged. The area is set to be reclassified as a 'tree retention clump' and marked in brown, and this will protect it in perpetuity. Although this doesn't cover the entire area, and some parts are only protected because they're inaccessible. Regulations are complicated when it comes to protecting wildlife, too. Under the regulations set by the EPA, it's not necessary for Forestry Corporation to search for endangered greater gliders at night in this area, even though they're a nocturnal species and not active during the day. However, elsewhere in the state, they have to be conducted after sunset, before harvesting can begin. Worrying environmental impact of common ingredient in $2 snack Incredible phone footage leads to rediscovery of lost species Australia called out for 'failing' two rare species facing extinction WWF believes the situation is 'complex' when it should be 'simple'. Blanch argues the only way to be confident forest in the area is protected, is for the government to follow through with its promise to create the GKNP. 'Only around 10 people can probably understand the details about the different map versions, classifications and interpretations of the pre-logging survey requirements,' he told Yahoo News. 'It's up to one person to bring this confusion to an end. And that's the Premier of NSW. He needs to declare the Great Koala National Park.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Assam team conducts survey in 5 Arunachal villages
1 2 3 4 Dibrugarh: A high-level team from Assam led by Charaideo DC Neha Yadav visited five villages in Arunachal Pradesh's Longding district on Sunday to conduct a comprehensive field survey in a step towards resolving the decades-old interstate border dispute. The visit, conducted in the spirit of the Namsai Declaration that aims to amicably settle the border issues between the two northeastern states, focused on gathering detailed information about population settlements and cultural prominence in the villages of Tanglan Rusa, Kamkuh Rusa, Hasse Rusa, Langkhajan, and Rangula. The Assam delegation included additional DC and border magistrate Navadeep Changmai, Sapekhati revenue circle officer Lombit Hazarika, and officials from the administration and police department. They were welcomed and accompanied by Longding SP Dekio Gumja and other officials from Arunachal Pradesh throughout the field visit. The findings from the survey will be compiled into a report that will be submitted to the joint border committee comprising officials from both states. Further deliberations will follow as the two northeastern states work towards finalising border demarcation under the framework established by the Namsai Declaration. "Our objective is to collect ground-level data that will help both states move forward with boundary demarcation as envisioned in the Namsai Declaration. We are examining various aspects, including historical settlements, demographic patterns and cultural identities of these border villages," Yadav said. The border dispute between Assam and Arunachal dates back to colonial times when Arunachal was carved out as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) from Assam. After Arunachal achieved statehood in 1987, disagreements over the demarcation of boundaries continued to cause occasional tensions between the neighbouring states. A breakthrough came with the signing of the Namsai Declaration in July 2022, when CMs of both states agreed to reduce the number of disputed villages from 123 to 86 and work towards a permanent resolution. Sunday's survey represents a concrete step in implementing this agreement. Officials said similar surveys would be conducted in other disputed sectors along the 804-km-long interstate boundary in the coming months "This joint exercise demonstrates the commitment of both state govts to resolve long-standing issues through dialogue and cooperation. The spirit of cooperation is encouraging. Instead of viewing this as a territorial dispute, both sides are approaching it as an administrative exercise to ensure better governance for the people living in these areas," an official said.
