According to a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change late last month, sequestering carbon dioxide is only one of the crucial climate-regulating attributes inherent to the world’s forests.

Quolls

A recent scientific survey of the impact of the 2003 fire in the upper Snowy River on Tiger Quolls calculates a reduction in the quoll population of between 67.5-90%. The impact of this loss on the state population (without taking into account the impact of the 2003 fires from the north-east through the Alps and …

Continue reading

Forest flambé plans thwarted

Despite plans to burn 130,000ha of bush last season DSE only managed a massive 49,000ha. The year before 127,000ha was scorched and before that 95,000ha of healthy undergrowth ecology was turned to ash. Gippsland had a planned 54,000ha to be flambéd but only managed to dry out and modify 10,000ha. Jill / Weekly Times 14.6.06 

Continue reading

How much can one forest bare?

The Tambo or Gippsland forests, north of Bairnsdale, first suffered a 700% increase in woodchipping after its RFA was signed in 2000. On top of that, they were burnt in the 2003 fires and have been “salvage” logged at eight times the legally sustainable yield level since then. Salvaged to death Since they lie in …

Continue reading

Salvage logging increases fire risk

A new US study of fire damaged forests in Oregon shows that allowing trees to naturally regenerate works as well or better than logging and replanting. Salvage logging actually reduced regeneration by 71%. The study also showed that undisturbed forest areas may be at lower fire risk, as logging adds to the material that would …

Continue reading

Auditor General accused DSE of inadequate investigation

It’s the kind of destruction we’re used to hearing about in the rainforests of South-east Asia, not in our own backyard. The Auditor General’s investigation into the Yalmy Road illegal logging during the 2003 fires, was released in early May 2004. It criticised the Bracks government for allowing three laws and 17 prescriptions and guidelines …

Continue reading

Yalmy Road investigation inadequate – auditor general

It’s the kind of destruction we’re used to hearing about in the rainforests of South-east Asia, not in our own backyard. The Auditor General’s investigation into the Yalmy Road illegal logging during the 2003 fires, was released in early May. It criticises the Bracks government for allowing three laws and 17 prescriptions and guidelines to …

Continue reading

DSE challenged over Yalmy illegal logging report

Environment East Gippsland will challenge the government in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal over their refusal to release under FOI, names in the documents relating to the looting of the Snowy National Park during the fires of February 2003. Over the past two years we have: endured months of being mucked around by the …

Continue reading

How do bushfires start?

Information from the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) shows that approximately 600 bushfires occur within Victorian public land each year. There are 26% that are caused by lightning and the rest the result of human activities. Source – http://www.dse.vic.gov. au/dse/nrenfoe.nsf Fire Cause Average number of fires each year Percentage of total fires Lightning 149 …

Continue reading

Post-logging burns and Greenhouse

There are 200 tonnes of tree remains and biomass burnt per hectare in a logged forest, that equals about 730 tonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases. The average car emits 6 tonnes a year. A peer reviewed scientific study shows that around 1000 tonnes of greenhouse gases are emitted for one hectare logged in rich …

Continue reading