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Pages tagged "Threatened species"

Illagl logging starts in endangered large brown tree frog habitat

Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO) has sent a report to the state government detailing illegal logging at Mt. Jersey in East Gippsland. GECO are concerned that logging is impacting on habitat for the Endangered large brown tree frog and protected rainforest.

The large brown tree frog (Litoria littlejohni) was thought to be extinct from Victoria until ecologist and GECO volunteer Rena Gaborov heard it calling in two locations last year. It was the first time the frog had been heard or seen in over 15 years.

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VicForests to log Endangered frog forest on Mt.Jersey

VicForests has placed boundary tapes marking out an area of endangered species habitat on Mt. Jersey, near Goongerah.

This area is a stronghold for the endangered Large Brown Tree-frog (Litoria littlejohni). The frog was thought to be possibly extinct from Victoria until last year GECO volunteer Rena Gaborov heard it calling in forest near Goongerah. It had not been seen or heard in Victoria for over 15 years.

The frog has only been recorded in six locations since its rediscovery last year. All of these new locations have been found, documented and reported by GECO volunteers. The state government have not conducted enough surveys to properly asses the very rare and cryptic frogs status.

The forest that VicForests plan to commence logging this week is just 550m from the site where GECO volunteers recorded the frog just two months ago.

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Citizen Scientists take action on Threatened Species Day

Today is National Threatened Species Day, held each year to commemorate the tragic death of the last Tasmanian Tiger that died in captivity in Hobart in 1936.

We teamed up with other citizen science groups Wildlife of the Central Highlands (WOTCH) and Fauna and Flora Research Collective (FFRC) to organise an event at the Treasury building in Melbourne.

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High density of Greater Gliders found in unlawful VicForests logging coupe

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GECO has submitted a report to the state government this morning detailing a high density of Greater gliders within the controversial 'Abra Cadabra' logging coupe in the Cottonwood Range.

This coupe was set aside for conservation by the Victorian Government's Forest Industry Taskforce, but VicForests commenced logging anyway. Logging here is undermining confidence in the Taskforce process.

Logging in this coupe is impacting on protected species habitat in breach of logging industry regulations.

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Twenty two protected greater gliders found in forest to be logged

We conducted a spotlighting survey in the Cottonwood range on Tuesday night and recorded twenty two protected greater gliders.  The survey was conducted in a VicForests logging coupe where logging was due to commence any day. Where more than 10 greater gliders are found in 1km or more than 2 greater gliders per hectare of forest, the law requires 100 hectares of habitat to be protected from logging.

We submitted a report to the Department who must now implement the legally required protections and prevent logging from occurring.

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100 hectares of forest protected for Greater Gliders

Great news for greater gliders! Our recent survey that found 11 greater gliders has resulted in a 100 hectare protected area and stopped VicForests from destroying their habitat.

The Department of Environment Land Water and Planning verified the survey last week and found the same number of gliders that we did, they are now in the process of creating a protection zone. Logging will no longer go ahead in the area and the gliders remain safe.

We're calling on Environment Minister Lisa Neville to make her department conduct their own surveys. It's not the job the community to look for and protect unique creatures like the greater glider before their homes are logged.

It's the government's job, but they're not doing it.

Take action email the Minister here!

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VicForests cuts habitat trees after citizen survey records Greater Gliders in logging coupe

Media Release – May 2nd 2016

Logging of old growth forest in East Gippsland has been halted after citizen surveys documented a large population of Greater Gliders in a VicForests logging coupe near Bendoc on Wednesday night.

Greater Gliders are Australia’s largest gliding marsupial, capable of gliding up to 100 meters. They need large old trees with hollows to sleep in during the day.

The law requires Greater Glider habitat to be protected from logging when more than 10 individuals are recorded on a 1km survey. GECO’s citizen science survey recorded 11 Greater Gliders in 850m.

The Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) will conduct their own survey this week. Logging has been put on hold in the forest until the DELWP investigation concludes. 

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Citizen survey stops logging in Greater Glider forests again!

A citizen science survey has stopped logging on the Errinundra plateau again! Last night 11 Greater Gliders were found on a spotlighting survey in a forest being logged by VicForests. In East Gippsland Greater Gliders are protected by law when more than 10 individuals are found in a 1km long survey. GECO surveys identified 11 Greater Gliders in a 850m survey, triggering the legal requirement for the area to be placed into a Special Protection Zone (SPZ).

After burning the midnight oil with Australia's large gliding marsupials, we submitted our survey data first thing this morning, calling on the Department of Environment to stop the logging.

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Logging was occurring in protected species habitat, before the Department could investigate. This afternoon DELWP confirmed that VicForests has suspended operations! Another great result for protected species thanks to an epic survey effort. Citizen surveys keep finding protected species where VicForests refuse to look. 

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40 rare tree-ferns found as VicForests investigated for rainforest logging

A VicForests coupe is under investigation by the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) for logging of protected rainforest in East Gippsland's Cabbage Tree Creek Area. GECO surveys identified logged rainforest buffers, 40 rare Slender and Skirted Tree-ferns and 75 rainforest associated species. DELWP are scheduled to visit the coupe this week.

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Rare Slender and Skirted Tree-ferns

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VicForests faces fresh court challenge over endangered species

Environment East Gippsland (EEG) is suing VicForests in the SupremeYBG_1_a_small.jpg Court again!

Central to the legal case are inadequate protections and pre logging surveys for protected species such as the critically endangered East Gippsland Galaxias fish, the endangered Long footed potoroo, Yellow bellied gliders and rare and protected plants in an area of the Kuark Forest. VicForests refused to stop logging in the area subject the the Court action, so EEG took out an emergency injunction to halt logging of the protected species habitat. GECO has collected survey data on the protected species in this area that may be used as evidence in the case. The Age newspaper ran a story last week about the case. Click read more to view the story.

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