AUSTRALIA: Moves to protect old growth forests
© 2001 AAP
November 5, 2001
THE West Australian government has announced new conservation measures to protect remnant old growth forests in the state's south-west.
All old growth forests in the area will be protected after another 5,500 hectares of forest was permanently set aside for conservation, State Environment and Heritage Minister, Dr Judy Edwards, said.
This brings the total of old-growth jarrah and karri trees now under conservation protection to 346,000 hectares.
However, to meet commitments to timber contracts, the government has set aside one per cent of old growth forests for logging.
But it will not need to call on these trees, as the timber industry had agreed to reductions in jarrah and karri supply, Premier Dr Geoff Gallop said.
The move to protect the forests coincides with the release of planned boundaries of the Beedelup National Park, which is to increase about 10 times in size and include extensive tracts of old growth forests.
Beedelup National Park, north-west of the town of Pemberton, 335 kilometres south of Perth, is currently 1,710 hectares and will be expanded up to 18,460 hectares.
"The park also contains one of the jewels of the karri forest with magnificent stands towering more than 50 metres in height," Dr Edwards said.