National Tree Day is this Sunday, August 1, and one major council candidate says keeping our existing trees in the ground is just as important planting new ones.
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Alison Worthington, head candidate for the Eurobodalla Greens, called for an "immediate end to logging of Mogo State Forest" as well as supporting projects to plant more trees in our region.
"Logging the very forest the Eurobodalal Shire is promoting as a mountain-bike destination is sabotaging a great local economic recovery project," she said.
"The forests around Mogo are still recovering from the horrific bushfires of 2019/20.
"Long term scientific studies done by internationally recognised experts like Professor David Lindenmayer, from the Australian National University's Fenner School of Environment and Society, have found that logging burnt forests will set back post bushfire recovery of these forests for hundreds of years."
Ms Worthington said logging mountain bike sites would defeat the purpose of even having them in the first place.
"Forestry NSW has already been logging across the Baby Bear trail, part of the Maulsbrooks Mountain Bike hub in Mogo State Forest," she said.
"The trail is churned up from heavy machinery, there's cut down tree tops, stumps and bark strewn everywhere - it looks like a mining site not a tourist destination.
"The Kona mountain bike track in Compartment 146 behind Mogo Village is next on the chopping block. This mountain bike trail will be closed for months while the forest and the mountain bike trail is destroyed.
"It doesn't make sense to allocate $8 million of government funding and $750,000 of ratepayers co-funding to create a mountain bike destination then stand by as the area is devastated by logging.
"There are so many creative and constructive ways that we could better use our state forests."
"They would be ideal multi-use destinations for nature-based recreation, increasing capacity for dog friendly campsites, horse riding and mountain bike riding.
"This will enhance the Shire's offering as an eco-tourism destination. The strategy put forth in the National Parks Association's Forests for All report is an excellent start."
Ms Worthington believes it's time to start looking out for the Shire's future.
"We need to be more proactive here. We need to advocate at state level for a sustainable economic future for our shire," she said.
"It's time Forestry NSW completed the transition from logging native forests to managing them as recreational,environmental and economic assets.
"The profitable sector of forestry is in plantations providing wood to the construction and fibre industry.
"Most logs from native forests are exported as woodchips, profiting a few companies at the expense of NSW taxpayers who are subsidising this.
"Planting a tree on National Tree Day is a great idea. An even better idea is to stop cutting down the trees we already have."
Meanwhile, if planting trees is your thing, Dr Keith Joliffe says Sunday is the perfect time to help the koalas in our area.
"Many people mistakenly believe koalas have been extinct for decades in this area. However up until the 2019/ 20 fires we tended to get a sighting once every year or two," he said.
"Koalas were definitely sighted in Bodalla State Forest in 2020 and were also seen in the East Lynne area right after the 2019 Currowan bushfire.
"If koalas are to thrive in our area they need the appropriate habitat - koala trees."