2. CLEARFELL LOGGING

Logging industry propaganda

• Trees grow back after clearfell logging, what is wrong with that? Link
  
  
• There are no known extinctions of any species due to logging practices.Link
  
  
• We harvest trees in the Otways. Link
  
  
• After logging forests are regenerated/grow a new forest/are renewable/regrow forest. Link
  
  
• Areas are burnt to mimic natural fire for regeneration after clearfell logging. Link
  
  
• Selective logging damages the forests/ biodiversity/ does not allow proper forest regeneration. Link
  
  
• Selective logging is dangerous. Link
  
  
• 100 years ago there were lots of sawmills in the Otways and nearly everywhere has already had logging. This is proof the forest regenerate and are renewable. Link
  
  
• Habitat trees are retained in ares clearfell logged to protect flora and fauna. Link
  
  
• Logging is sustainable. Link

Brief Response

Trees grow back after clearfell logging, what is wrong with that?

• Clearfell logging in 60-80 year rotations practices in the Otways is reducing the overall biodiversity of the forests, lowering water run off into domestic water supply catchments, destroying the current and future tourism potential and making the forests drier and more fire prone.
  See clearfell logging.

There are no known extinctions of any species due to logging practices.

• See FLORA AND FAUNA / BIODIVERSITY ISSUES. Link

We harvest trees in the Otways.

• The word "harvest" is a substitute for the word "clearfell logged" because it sounds better.
  
  
• The word "harvest" implies that a complex forest ecosystem can be managed by humans in the same way as a mono-culture crop of wheat or sugar-cane is farmed. The word harvest implies forests were created by humans to exploit when in fact they evolved over millions of years. The Otways forests exists in its own right without human intervention.
  
  
• A more accurate description of the concept 'harvest' would be, "the natural forests are being cut down and replaced with modified crop of trees similar to a plantation that will be harvested in 60 to 80 year rotations".

After logging forests are regenerated/grow a new forest/are renewable/regrow forest.

• A eucalypt forest can have a life cycle of between 250 and 400 years depending on the species, fire frequency and fire intensity. Government practice is to clearfell log in 60 to 80 year cycles. The claim that a 300 + year biodiverse native forest can be regenerated in just 60-80 years is the stuff of magicians!
  See Myth that native forests "regenerate" after clearfell logging.
  

Areas are burnt to mimic natural fire regeneration after clearfell logging

• Extensive Scientific Research has consistently shown that clearfell logging does not mimic the natural effect of wild fire. The native forest logging industry never cites any scientific papers to back up the claim.
  See Myth that clearfell logging mimics natural wildfire regeneration
  
  
• Forestry officers incorrectly apply a generic model of fire regeneration for all types of forest based on ash species response to an intense fire event.
  See Myth that clearfell logging mimics natural wildfire regeneration

Selective logging damages the forests/ biodiversity/ does not allow proper forest regeneration.

• Selective logging left behind many more trees than clearfell logging does today. Much of the Otway forest that has been selectively logged still has a high proportion of veteran trees (trees that were rejected by past logging and are pre-European settlement in age) that maintain some old growth values and provide important hollows and habitat.
  See Hollow bearing trees
  
  
• Both low and high intensity fires have created healthy regeneration of younger trees that grow among veteran trees left behind from selective logging days. The forest that has been selectively logged has more diversity that an even age crop of trees created by clearfell logging.
  
  
• The so called damage caused to trees left behind after selective logging is caused naturally anyway. Trees are naturally damaged in storms when neighbouring trees and blown over or limbs blown off.
  
  
• In the past only the best sawlogs were removed leaving behind hollow, rotting or young live trees. These remaining trees still provided habitat and shade to protect understorey species such as tree ferns.
  See The myth woodchips are produced from waste wood.
  
  
• The native forest logging industry demand to continued clearfell logging over selective logging is based on increasing the productivity of the forests from a timber point of view. However productivity from other forest values such as water yield or biodiversity decreases as a consequence.
  

Selective logging is dangerous

• Any type of native forest logging is extremely dangerous and unsafe. This includes clearfell logging which has a death rate 17 times higher than other industries. (See Examination of Log Harvesting and Haulage Arrangements, April 2002, page 65).
  
  
• Several loggers have been killed and injured in the Otways in the past decade during clearfell logging operations. Clearfell logging in native forest should be banned and workers given the opportunity to work in safer environments such as plantations. This is another reason logging should be restricted to plantations.
  
  
• Big business should not demand workers risk their lives logging native forest for woodchips in an industry that is one of the most life threatening in Australia.
  
  
• In April 2000 a Coroner reported on a fatality in the Victorian harvesting sector found that: "It was discovered that within Australia the forestry and logging industry had one of the highest incidence rates of death, with this rate being 17 times higher than the all industry average. The most common mechanism was workers being hit by falling trees and branches"

100 years ago there were lots of sawmills in the Otways and nearly everywhere has already had already been logged. This is proof the forest regenerated in the past and are renewable.

• Past selective logging has left more diversity in the forest than clearfell logging does today. See above.
  
  
• The practice of clearfell logging today cannot be compared to the practices used in the late 19th & early 20th century by Europeans to extract trees from the Otways. Past logging was single tree selection (single trees cut by axe) when the forest was still virgin(in a state of old growth). Trees were removed by tramways, winches and horse/bullocks not bulldozers. These past practices did not deliberately remove all the trees and destroy understorey species. Clearfell logging today is an intensive process with the aim of maximising the productivity of a forest area by removing all the trees and leaving a site totally bare to develop into even age crop of trees.
  
  
• Back in 1930 logging interests believed that "Blackbutt" as mountain ash was known, was not mature until it reached at leas 200 years old. Suggestions to log the young forest in the Olangolah catchment which was 80 years old at the time were regarded by the timber industry in those days as "nothing less than economic insanity"

Habitat trees are retained in ares clearfell logged to protect flora and fauna

• Habitat trees are rarely left in areas clearfell logged. The Otways is full of areas that have been clearfell logged and not a single tree (alive or dead) has been left standing.
  See Hollow Bearing Trees are Poisoned by Forestry Victoria
  
  
• Habitat trees or veteran trees are used by the native forest logging industry as public relations tool to deceive the community into thinking flora and fauna values are being protected. In reality the industry regard the retention of habitat trees as a problem.
  See Retention of habitat trees after clearfell logging is a myth.

Logging is sustainable.

• Clearfell logging in 60-80 year rotations practices in the Otways is reducing the overall biodiversity of the forests, lowering water run off into domestic water supply catchments, destroying the current and future tourism potential and making the forests drier and more fire prone.
  See clearfell logging.

Don't know the meaning of a word? Check the glossary.