The government announced the protection of 90,000ha of old growth forests, but VicForests' have been left in charge of finding and protecting them using an inadequate field verification tool which declassifies old growth forest. The Environment Departments' Office of Conservation Regulator (OCR) are currently seeking feedback on that tool. Send a detailed submission to the Office of Conservation Regulator (OCR) about the current old growth forest field identification draft.
We've put together a guide to answering questions from a template provided by the OCR on their engagement website. You can email the OCR directly or copy and paste our responses into the form on the OCR website.
Please respond to as many questions as you like and email this completed form to [email protected].
Also please take the time to complete the simple ‘star ratings’ survey on the website.
https://engage.vic.gov.au/method-identifying-old-growth-forests-victoria
It's important when answering questions to reiterate the government committed to protecting 90,000ha of mapped old growth forests, and field verification should be used only as a precaution outside the already mapped old growth to ensure all old growth forests are protected from logging, and that the procedure in its current form will not protect old growth forests. Submissions close 10 January 2020.
Read our submission guide here
Mapped old growth forest in the Errinundra Valley East Gippsland recently scheduled for logging