Australia: E. Gippsland forest defenders win 2 week reprieve due to rare species find

Anti-logging campaigners have won a two-week reprieve in far east
Gippsland after claiming to have discovered four threatened species in
old-growth forest earmarked for harvesting. Scientists working on
behalf of Environment East Gippsland say a survey last weekend found
endangered glider, owl and crayfish species in a coupe at Brown
Mountain. Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said it was outrageous
that it was left to self-appointed “forest defenders” to survey the
area for threatened species.

“The Department of Sustainability and
Environment must be hanging its head with shame … these are fabulous
Victorian wildlife and the Brumby Government is aiding and abetting
their onrush towards extinction,” he said. Senator Brown called on the
Federal Government to investigate whether Victoria had breached the
Regional Forest Agreement by allowing rare and endangered species to
be destroyed. Bureaucrats responded by ordering logging be delayed for
at least a fortnight while claims of a large population of greater
gliders were investigated. But VicForests, the state-owned commercial
forestry business, cast doubt over some of the claims. Its regional
manager, Barry Vaughan, said a crayfish specimen presented by
conservationists was not the endangered Orbost spiny crayfish, but the
relatively common Bidawal spiny crayfish.

Despite this, a
precautionary 100-metre buffer would be placed around a rainforest
creek as a precaution, he said. He said two owl species — the sooty
and powerful owls — had access to “ample protected vegetation” in
adjacent native forest. “The claims are worthy of investigation, but
we are confident that harvesting will continue,” Mr Vaughan said.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/logging-on-hold-over-species-find-20090128-7s13.html

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