What can we do? LONG
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: What can we do? LONG
- From: G* K*
- Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2001 16:47:02 +1000
In answer to Nan
Nan, on the last radio news today -
Tasmania has clear felled the largest
areas of bush in Australia. We do have
1/3 of the Island registered with National
and World Heritage but the private
companies, with and the government
Forestry Dept. permission have even
crawled into these areas.
The farmers, who are having a hard trot,
especially this year with the driest
Summer on record, are given a good sum to
lease the land for 15 years, very hard to
resist. Mind you, there properties have
suffered so much under these difficult
weather conditions because there was too
much clear felling in the past by the
"cocky farmers"
With our situation, this is the first toe
into this beautiful area of Tasmania - the
family who lived on the farm had a
marriage break up [three generations] and
the property was put on the market. It
was bought by a speculator with no
intention of living there. A State
forest abuts it on the other side and
clear felling is allowed in unregistered
State forest. That is what I mean by a
toe in.
The incredible part is that over the last
decade Tasmania has succeeded in building
up a reputation of "The clean green State"
with our clean air, wonderful natural
foods and our World Heritage areas.
Tourists seeking a holiday in a place with
these attributes, have increased in
numbers and arrive daily.
Most of the wood is chipped and exported
to Japan for a ridiculously low price.
The platypus live in our dams, dams made
to irrigate the orchards, many years ago
and the creek [which we pay an annual fee
for the use of] feeds the dams. The land
in question abuts our property in this
area and includes the creek. We are
worried by the poison getting into our
water supply - it rains very often in this
area.
Tasmania is supposed to have only 200
pairs of wedge tailed eagles left. We
are visited, every Summer, by three
eagles who come to take the peafowl chicks
back to feed their youngsters.
Yes, this is standard practice - clear
fell, use Roundup, then lay 1080. Plant
one species of Gum trees [bush animals
need different species of native plants
and also many of the marsupials use fallen
logs with hollows for their home] wait 15
years and cut it all down again. It is
said that any birds or animals feeding on
the poisoned creatures [poison laid to
kill kangeroos, bandicoots, potoroos,
possums, quolls etc etc] will not get
enough poison. I think this is rot - they
don't find the carcasses because 1080 is a
very slow acting poison and the birds
probably try to get back to their nests [
if a tree is left for them to nest in]
This is getting too long. But I would so
dearly like to see a letter from you
supporting us in our fight. The reporter
suggested I do this, to show that there
is world wide disgust at such horrendous
practices and concern on a personal level,
that the dream that Kees and I, in our
latter years, made come true with hard
work and much more joy and shared with
many thousands of visitors, virtual and
real from many parts of the global, could
be shattered by an ugly act of
destruction Regards, Gay
Nan Sterman wrote:
> I am confused. Why is your neighbor
> planning on doing this? Is it a
> eucalyptus plantation operation? Why in
> the world would anyone want
> to kill all of the animals on site? Is
> standard practice?
>
> what can we who are so far away do to
> help you Gay?
>
> Nan
> --
> **********
> '''''''''''''''''''''''
> Nan Sterman
> San Diego County California
> Sunset zone 24, USDA hardiness zone 10b
> or 11
--
Gay Klok Tasmania
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