Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area at Risk

Here is a call for support from Rainforest Rescue:

‘Tasmania’s alpine mountain ranges, karst landscapes, temperate rainforests and wetlands were declared a World Heritage Site over thirty years ago. Its giant eucalyptus trees reach for the sky, and the region is home to endemic and endangered species such as the Tasmanian devil. Archaeological sites dating back 30,000 years – testimony to the earliest human settlements in the region – can also be found in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

In June 2013, the previous Australian government extended the UNESCO World Heritage Site by 170,000 hectares to a total of 1.58 million hectares, or 6,100 square miles.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott wants to put an end to that, however. Liberty Voice reports that during a dinner for forestry workers, Abbot declared that too much of Australia is “locked up” in protective areas. He sees “green ideology” at work and asserted that “the environment is made for man”.

The Prime Minister called for 74,000 hectares of the World Heritage Site to be delisted as soon as possible. In his view, this would involve “minor boundary modifications” affecting areas that had been logged previously and thus were not worthy of protection. Conservationists are alarmed and disagree strongly, pointing out that 90 percent of the area is ecologically pristine primary forest.

On February 1, the government submitted an application to the World Heritage Committee. If the application is accepted, not only would 18 of 58 giant eucalyptus trees lose their protected status, but entire valleys and forests as well.

Australian environmental organizations are doing everything possible to stop the government. Please support their struggle with your signature…Click here to sign.