Greenpeace in treetop fight to save hardwood forest

ENVIRONMENTALISTS yesterday began a treetop protest to highlight the threat to the world's tallest hardwood trees, endangered by logging in Australia's island state of Tasmania.

Greenpeace launched the 'tree-sit' protest in conjunction with the Wilderness Society, pointing out that without action the Styx forest, located near the state capital Hobart, would be gone within months.

The so-called Global Rescue Station was mounted on a platform 65 metres above ground level to protect the trees from being pulped for paper.

"We have set up this Global Rescue Station to save these 400-year-old trees from logging. We want people to know that woodchip exports are killing one of the world's most valuable forests," said Danny Kennedy, Greenpeace campaigns manager.

"Importers should source woodchips from plantations, not ancient forests," he said.

The protesters want Australia's federal government to declare a national park and, to recognise the potential, list the area as a World Heritage site. The trees can grow up to 85 metres in height. Appealing for the Styx forest to be saved as well, Alec Marr, campaign director for the Wilderness Society, compared the logging techniques in use in Tasmania with those in Indonesia and Brazil, two countries devastated by rampant and barely controlled logging.

"Logging the Styx threatens rare and endangered species such as the wedge-tailed eagle and the grey goshawk," Marr said. "The crude clearfelling methods used in Tasmania are equivalent to forestry practices in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Brazil."

The forest is being logged by Australian company Gunns Limited.