A Proposal to Enlarge East Gippsland's National Parks
- the Short Version

In East Gippsland it is possible to maintain a diverse ecosystem that stretches from the ocean to the alpine mountain tops. This is increasingly important as the world is becoming rapidly deforested, the hole in the ozone layer is increasing, and many species are threatened with extinction. To protect a continuous wildlife corridor from ocean to alpine would allow the evolutionary process to cope with the climatic changes, and for species to migrate up away from the rising oceans and into cooler climates.

As the human population exponentially increases on the planet, and our "standard of living" - the amount of resources we consume - is also increasing per capita, the amount of irreparable damage we are causing is also exponentially growing. The continued deforestation of the planet is causing droughts, salination of soils, increased carbon-dioxide emissions from burn-offs, and reduced oxygen input to the atmosphere.

The forests of East Gippsland are helping solve this world climatic problem by consuming carbon dioxide and acting as a carbon store, but felling and burning releases carbon dioxide. Plants help maintain water and humidity levels and are essential for the maintenance of the oxygen / carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Cleared forests have led to release of large amounts of greenhouse gases, raising of the water table and increased climatic temperature. This is easily demonstrated by walking from a cleared coupe into an old-growth for.html"as there is a noticable drop in temperature.

Forests in East Gippsland are currently being harvested at the rate of 174 000 cu.m of sawlogs (C grade or better) per year, with 700 000 cu.m of residual logs being woodchipped. The process of harvesting is clear-felling , which leaves the tops of trees, stumps, hollow trees, and anything other than straight logs left on the ground to be burnt in the Autumn regeneration burns. That means 80% of logs are woodchipped, and the true residue is unused.

The areas currently protected by Government are small and scattered, often consisting of gullies too steep to be logged, or areas that are otherwise inaccessible for logging. Many of the protected areas are too small to support habitat for the native species that dwell there, and extinction of birds and animals is almost guaranteed.

The current National Parks exclude huge areas of undisturbed old-growth forest such as around Mt. Sardine, which is home to bats, frogs, Long-footed Potoroos, Sooty Owls, Spot-tail Quolls, Yellow Belly and Sugar Gliders - almost a list of all East Gippsland's endangered species. "Special Protection Zones" exist, but are only temporary. For example the protection currently offered by the DCNR of the Ellery Catchment is limited to the year 2000, when the management strategy will review its policy on protecting potoroo habitat. This based on "recognition of the fact that potoroos utilise regrowth forest and that carefully planned timber harvesting may be compatible with their conservation".

If you want to see what the world looked like in Gondwanic times - when the continents were joined and dinosaurs roamed the earth - then check out Stagg Creek, just east of Sellers Rd. This rainforest is adjacent to the National Park and is an area of undisturbed old-growth, Powerful Owl habitat, giant trees full of gliders, lush tree-fern valleys, and Sassafras lined creeks. A blockade of this area was held for almost a year, but was busted in December. Two coupes have already been clearfelled and burnt. There are more coupes planned for next season.

To save the threatened species, the forests, the atmosphere and the planet, we need to enlarge East Gippsland National Parks, and include the remaining patches of old-growth in linked wildlife corridors.