Buckenbowra State Forest, Compartment 517
Local activists from Friends of the Forest & the Eurobodalla Greens became aware that an iconic forest surrounded by Monga National Park was due to be logged in 2019.
Preparations were undertaken to campaign to save this particular forest undoubtedly the home to the Spotted Tail Quoll recorded all around in Monga National Park. The eastern boundary of the compartment comprises the bottom quarter of the famous Corn Trail with its indigenous and early colonial heritage values.
However, late in October 2018 an Eden based logging crew moved in to commence "harvesting". Ongoing monitoring of the operation will be undertaken and all breaches noted and reported to the EPA. Once again, only 5 Hollow bearing trees and 5 Recruitment trees per hectare are required to be left standing. Too bad if you happen to be an animal living in a hollow of a tree not marked for retention. And this happens in a country with the highest rate of mammal extinctions in the world.
34% of the logs removed are destined to be woodchipped at the Eden mill and exported with a return of a measly $4-5 per tonne.
In May 2019 the logging operation was completed. Conservation efforts are now being directed towards the adjacent compartment 516.
Photo credits
Left - David Gallen, Below(2) - Melanie Turner