It is critical that the logging industry does not get into further logging and clearing of native forest ecosystems under the guise of the need to thin them as a bushfire mitigation strategy. The science has clearly established that logged forests burn hotter, more frequently and more catastrophically than unlogged forests and the development of any policy in relation to this proposal needs to take the science into account.
It’s a fact that wildfire in Australia poses a threat to the nation in terms of emissions generated by wildfire, and the impact that bushfire can have on the resilience of particular ecosystems. However a long-term scientific appraisal rather than a knee-jerk response needs to occur before any policy in relation to accepting ‘thinning’ of forests as a bushfire strategy is adopted. We submit scientific documents as well as a summary of some of the arguments in plain language which will attest to the fact that is counter-productive to move in and thin (log) forests under the guise of bushfire mitigation. All that thinning (logging) forests does is reduce the cooling potential of the canopy, its ability to allow the forest to self-regulate, allowit to fulfil the function of keeping understoreys, ground cover cool and retain soil moisture. It is essential to become conversant with the science provided in the attached scientific studies on this matter.
There is very real pressure that Australia will lose its intact forests and its best carbon sink if lobbying by the native forest logging industry for its inclusion into climate change policy is given favourable treatment at the expense of science. The ‘trials’ of mechanical fuel load reduction are already being funded against the advice of scientists and this worrying development needs to be stopped. These are occurring in three states with $1.5 million dollars of federal funds. The thrust for this development is based on US ‘mechanical maceration’ management of forests. This is another arm of the international biomass trade and it needs to be quashed immediately. Time does not permit us to elaborate further on this issue but on request we would be happy to refer you to the peer-reviewed science to state our case.
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