Keep Tasmania's Old Growth & High Conservation Value Forests on the UNESCO World Heritage List

The Federal Government has begun talks with UNESCO to reduce Tasmania's World Heritage Listing of 170,000 Hectares of old growth forests and high conservation value forests. If this occurs, this will be only the second time a developed country (the other being Germany) has deliberately removed a property or part of a property from the World Heritage List.

Please sign and urge both the World Heritage Committee and the Federal Government to leave the protected area in tact without boundary reductions. 

Notably, even the Tasmanian forestry industry association doesn't want changes to the current world heritage listing boundary.

Governmental intervention to delist the state's contentious old growth and high conservation value forests would threaten the fragile peace deal's existence, the chief executive of the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania, Terry Edwards, said.

''If they're trying to read the tea leaves and believe this is where the strength is in the (Coalition) campaign, they might need to re-assess.''

''This agreement is now starting to deliver on its promise, and it needs to be given the opportunity to do that.''

World heritage sites such as these Tasmanian forests are places that are important to and belong to everyone (not corporations), irrespective of where they are located. They have universal value that transcends the value they hold for a particular nation. No matter your political views, these forests must protected and defended vigorously.

Sadly one pivotal site is missing from this heritage listing, the Tarkine. At a time when an increase on boundary is crucial for the survival of the endangered Tasmania Devil, increased protections are critical.

The Tarkine contains extensive high-quality wilderness as well as extensive, largely undisturbed tracts of cool temperate rainforest which are extremely rare. It also represents Australia's largest remaining single tract of temperate rainforest. Its range of inhabitants include vertebrate fauna such as 28 terrestrial mammals, 111 land and freshwater birds, 11 reptiles, 8 frogs and 13 freshwater fish. The Tarkine provides habitat for over 60 rare, threatened and endangered species of flora and fauna.

Please sign, share and encourage your mates to do the same. Better still, urge the Federal Government & UNESCO to support extending the listing to include the Tarkine before thousands of years of ancient forest is destroyed permanently.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-19/talks-begin-on-reducing-tasmania27s-world-heritage-area/5101266

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/what-do-abbott-and-the-taliban-have-in-common-20130904-2t5cn.html#ixzz2e5B80uZH

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/coalition-urged-to-drop-plan-to-delist-forests-20130830-2sw8g.html#ixzz2ltdUm2nZ

http://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2007/may/1348543148/richard-flanagan/out-control

Over 68,000 of us have stood together to make a clear statement that we will not stand by and allow these forests to be excised for logging or mining.

Our voices have been heard, and now ARIA Award winners John Butler, Missy Higgins and BBC’s Kangaroo Dundee, Chris Barnes are joining our national movement of average citizens concerned about our legacy embodied in these forests.

 "Delisting any part of ANY World Heritage protected area seems to me the definition of devolution... How a government or corporation, can exert it's short term interest over such an Ancient Wilderness such as The Tasmanian World Heritage Area is beyond me. In the name of common sense we need to stand up and protect what is really important... our precious planet"  John Butler

 What can you do to stand up for Tasmania’s World Heritage Listing?

1. You can help increase our campaigns reach by writing to environment minister, Greg Hunt via email greg.hunt.mp@environment.gov.au and let him know that Australians and our friends overseas do not want to see these high conservation value and old growth forest removed from the world heritage areas for logging.

 2. Hit the link below for the Green Legion, we need to keep you in the loop, you are the voice of these pristine forests.

 https://www.facebook.com/theaustraliangreenlegion

 3. Watch and share our response to Australisn Governments announcement that the reduction of the World Heritage Listing is immeinent. We have less than a week to circulate this video across the globe.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diJj1O1b6Rw&feature=youtu.be

 4. While this campaign is focused on the World Heritage Listing, its important to note, that possibly the most beautiful area (and the last remaining strong hold of Tasmanian Devils in the wild) is not protected under the listing. Exceptional film maker, Julian Knysh is working hard to produce a documentary to draw attention to this tragic omission. Please consider chipping in.

 http://www.pozible.com/project/11481