SAVE THE TARKEETH FOREST

WRONG METHOD!WRONG PLACE!

We need your help, we are currently on site in the Tarkeeth forest in Bellingen NSW around the clock in a bid to try and SAVE this Forest from clear felling by forestry Corporation, they commenced clear felling on the 18th July.

We need to raise enough funds to keep fighting this campaign. Any donation big or small is greatly needed and appreciated. Money will be used to support the running of our forest campsite and the people living on site, any equipment needed ( tents, tarps, food, bedding, generators, eskies, tables, chairs) technical equipment, consultants, water analysis and community education.

We are a very small group of dedicated people who are desperately trying to save this forest as it has important aboriginal Gumbaynggirr cultural sites and artefacts, it habitats threatened species (koala,quolls,giant barred frog and lyre birds). It's too close to our two main rivers the Kalang and the bellingen rivers and its too close to local farms.

Clear felling on our steep slopes is a very aggressive form of logging as it destroys everything within the forest, leaving thousands of tonnes of topsoil at risk of washing into our waterways and with our high rainfall makes this a recipe for disaster. Forestry corporation will cause irreparable damage to our two main rivers, local farms, land and eco-systems if they continue with this method.

We have tried to consult with forestry over the last two years about finding a solution that works for everyone so they can log in a way that minimises the damage to our environment and our waterways.

We asked for better land management practises (to not use a chemical cocktail of four toxic chemicals; Liase, Pulse Penetrant, Metsulfuron, Glyphosate) to create better buffer zones for local farms and waterways and bigger wildlife corridors to protect threatened species habitat. We've asked for selective logging v clear fell logging and all of our comments have been rejected ... Leaving us no other alternative then to deal with this issue on site. Forestry corporation has betrayed the community consultation process.

We support well managed, well planned plantations as a means to protect our native forests ...we live in timber homes, we use firewood and we support our local mills who engage in selective logging, employ local residents and keep the dollars here. We protest against chemical dependent monoculture plantations that are poorly managed and put our community and environment at risk.

We need your financial support to help us save this for future generations. Forestry Corperation have already faced fines ($15,000) for environmental damage caused by logging in our beautiful Never Never river here in Bellingen Valley last year. Please help us to stop it from happening again.

We also need people to join us on site to help maintain our camp, so if you would like to stand with us please visit our Facebook pages Not in my forest or the Tarkeeth forest for further details.

WRONG METHOD! WRONG PLACE!