Forestry Tasmania Comments on Status of Tasmanian Devil

There is no evidence to link the forest industry with the plight of the Tasmanian devil.

“Anti-forestry voices across Tasmania have tried and tried to place the blame for the Tasmanian devil’s hardship at the feet of the forest industry,” said Dr Hans Drielsma, Forestry Tasmania’s Executive General Manager. “There is not one shred of evidence to support this claim.”

“The devil has become endangered because of the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). This horrific illness was first discovered in the mid-1990s in a National Park where there is no forest industry.

“Despite the science and the established facts, there are those who are still trying to find a way to pin this on the forest industry. These assertions have been reported as fact with no questions asked.

“It is not true that the forest industry has any exemptions under the Threatened Species Act. The Act specifically requires a Forest Practices Plan to be completed prior to any forestry activities taking place. These plans include a detailed assessment of potential impacts on species at risk and approved threatened species provisions.

“Scientific assessments of Forest Practices Plans result in special prescriptions and amendments being applied to proposed activities to protect any threatened species. Habitat protection for the bornemissza stag beetle and the wedge-tail eagle are just two examples where Forest Practices Plans have been changed to ensure protection.

“Forestry Tasmania spends about $3.5 million annually on advancing the science behind forest management. This includes $300,000 each year on wedge-tail eagle research alone. We do this to ensure we are managing State forests responsibly and addressing the questions that are raised through the Forest Practices Plan process.

“Those who think that land planning in Tasmania can be a bit of a challenge should take a closer look at Forest Practices Plans. Developers like Dick Smith and Geoffrey Cousins would be greatly relieved to know that their developments are not subjected to this level of scrutiny.


David Tuck, Corporate Relations 6233 8249
ENDS
21 May 2008