Over the last few days Forestry Corporation of NSW has pulled out of Tallaganda. For the first time in decades, there is no immediate threat of logging anywhere along the full 60km length of that high altitude range.
With a simple change in status from ‘active’ to ‘complete’, announced quietly on Forestry Corporation’s planning portal, the majestic old growth forest and greater glider habitat we have fought for has been made safe from threat of immediate destruction. Despite that lack of fanfare we have succeeded in our campaign.
The last six months have required some intense work: both behind-the-scenes lobbying and extensive fieldwork to collect scientific data literally in rain, hail and shine.
We are grateful also to our campaign partners who threw everything they could at the campaign to save Tallaganda: South East Forest Rescue, and WWF-Australia.
Although Forestry Corporation have not committed to staying out of Tallaganda for good, we believe this is a solid reprieve, and hope that it will be a major stepping stone along the path to permanent protection.
But we must remain vigilant, because until a national park is declared across all of Tallaganda, Forestry Corporation could slip quietly back in and continue the destruction. We will keep a close watch on Tallaganda to ensure that if that happens it does not go unnoticed.
Please take a moment to watch this short six minute video showing what we have saved, and scroll through the photos below.
The last six months have shown that together we are not powerless in the face of native forest logging and can make a real difference for endangered species.
Before the first Stop Work Order in August last year, logging operations were underway in Tallaganda, spreading like a virus into intact native forest.
Tallaganda is home to old-growth, hollow-bearing trees which provide critical habitat for many threatened species, like the nationally endangered greater glider.
This area is considered a greater glider stronghold, but is also home to many other threatened species that rely on similar habitat.
After several trips into Tallaganda, four Stop Work Orders and over five months of campaigning...
...we can declare a small victory as Forestry pulls out of Tallaganda, ceasing logging for the time being.
However, while logging in Tallaganda may be 'complete', the threat of logging in other areas of the forest still remains. We will not stop until there is permanent protection.