🚀 go-pugleaf

FOREST PROTECTION AT THE CROSSROADS

contact to: Resource and Conservation Assessment Council (RACAC)
Level 21 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
GPO Box 3927 Sydney 2001
phone (02) 228 3166
fax   (02) 228 4967

and your local environment group for more information on this vital 
step in forest conservation.

===================================================================

In the next month Bob Carr and his Government will get the 
opportunity to keep their promise to protect NSW's high conservation 
value forests. Or they may break their promise and hand them over to 
the timber industry. What you do will help determine the outcome.

When elected Bob Carr set in motion the first stage of the process: 
"to identify all areas likely to be required for a comprehensive, 
adequate and representative forest reserve system". This first stage 
nears completion. Wilderness, old growth, endangered species and 
biodiversity values have been rapidly assessed and an initial 
identification has been possible. Cultural, archaeological, 
historical, catchment and recreational values among others have not 
been assessed  during this initial process. 

Bob Carr now has the opportunity to lead NSW into the next century 
with a world-class forest reserve system (and hopefully a 
world-class reserve system representing all vegetation and 
ecosystems). However Carr and his Ministers are coming under 
enormous pressure from the powerful and well-resourced timber 
industry lobby to compromise our best chance ever for a viable 
forest reserve system we can be proud of. One that has a chance of  
surviving the next century of major climatic changes.

You can help Bob Carr and his Government be brave by letting him 
know you care, you will support them and that you will be back at 
the blockades if they back down! Some of you might want to remind 
him of the months of tireless campaigning we went through prior to 
the election with the stump-truck, the 100,000+ signatures from NSW 
alone on the Forest Protection Petition that was sent to Canberra, 
and the thousands of photo postcards we sent to Fahey and his 
Ministers that they ignored at their peril. Even if you do nothing 
else: We need you to write to Bob Carr, NSW Premier, Parliament 
House Macquarie St., Sydney, 2000,  and tell him:

"You support the Forest Reserve Plan proposed by the environment 
movement. You want to see ALL areas identified as high conservation 
value placed under immediate moratorium, with core areas of 
wilderness and well-referenced National parks declared ASAP. Tell 
him what you might do if he backs down. Tell him you want this 
letter to count as a submission to both the RACAC and Wilderness 
Declaration processes."

You must write before July 12 but do it NOW so you don't forget. Get 
your friends and rellies to write too. Only a paragraph or two can 
make all the difference.

FOREST RESERVE PLAN

The environment movement has worked hard to assimilate the masses of 
data we were given during the "negotiations" with the industry, to 
complete the identification of high conservation value forests. We 
have also proposed a timetabling framework for the Government which 
allows the immediate declaration of protection for core areas, like 
wilderness and a number of national park proposals that have been 
referenced for some time, as well as providing areas for timber 
production while the long-promised comprehensive regional assessment 
is completed. This Forest Reserve Plan has been endorsed by the 
major conservation groups in NSW and seeks the support  of any group 
you may belong to.

Write or call RACAC (Resource and Conservation Assessment 
Council) requesting the information package to enable you to you 
to make  your views known before the end of June 1996.

RACAC
Level 21 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
GPO Box 3927 Sydney 2001
phone (02) 228 3166
fax   (02) 228 4967

Information posted by:

Greg Hore           (greghore@elands.hna.com.au)
Colling Road
Elands, 2429	    (ph/fx 065 504443)
Australia