Premature deaths from govt planned burns
Bushfires are painted as the big enemy and forests as their associates ‘in crime’. However the science and evidence tells a different story.
Eagle slaughter
East Gippsland is a relatively rich ‘ark’ for Victoria’s remaining wildlife but these are under threat from many quarters.
Massive rainforest breach sparks review of enforcement
After the horrendous and blatant destruction of a rainforest area by VicForests in March 2016, government compliance officers dithered and stalled for almost 2 years, and even then, botched the court papers. The Minister ordered an investigation just months out from the 2018 state election.
The legal cases
There are currently two legal cases going on against the government and its logging agency VicForests. They challenge the legitimacy of the RFAs and the legal requirement for more old growth to be protected in reserves.
Yet another legal case is being prepared for a hearing in
Melbourne’s Supreme Court in December 2018The first case concerns the overlogging ...
Nippon’s Reflex paper mill plans a giant waste incinerator
EEG is challenging the EPA Works Approval to Australia’s giant woodchip and paper mill to build a $500 million waste incinerator.
This is an obscene situation. This paper mill has been responsible for destroying the Central Highlands Mountain and Alpine Ash forests since its establishment in 1938. It has a promise of log supply up until 2030! ...
VicForests – major certification fail
VicForests has failed a forth time to gain the global forest environmental certification tick. We wonder what other motives they have to continue applying for acceptance when their practices don’t change.
Forests Forever Ecology Camp 2018
The 2018 Easter Forests Forever Camp featured great weather, fabulous walks, informative speakers and walk leaders and of course people ~ but best of all, magnificent forests!
Some of the adventurous walkers in the depths of Brown Mountain’s old growth forests. Here they rest by the giant Rennie tree near the rainforest creek. 
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RFAs need to be terminated
EEG has submitted comments to the farcically late 5 yearly review of RFA (26 Jan 2018). We say they must be terminated.
The Regional Forest Agreements cost us $300 million dollars to pretend the forest battle had been solved by ‘balancing all values’. They have failed on almost every environmental promise, but for 20 years it has allowed the industry to log without fear of federal environmental constraints.
East ...
How did the environment fare in the Vic budget 2017?
All up it has $306M was allocated to our environment (sport managed $308M). This is less than half of what the M80 Ring Road has been allocated, and less than half the schools’ budget.
Biodiversity Plan 2037 – $86M for reveg and pest control.
Parks – $32M for new rangers over 2 years and a revamped website. $28M – promotion of parks and tourism.
EPA – $163M for better enforcement, ...
Responses of invasive predators and native prey to a prescribed forest fire
Fire shapes biome distribution and community composition worldwide, and is extensively used as a management tool in flammable landscapes. There is growing concern, however, that fire could increase the vulnerability of native fauna to invasive predators.
We developed a conceptual model of the ways in which fire could influence predator–prey dynamics. Using a before–after, control–impact experiment, we then investigated the short-term effects of a prescribed fire on 2 ...