Victorians overwhelmingly want protection for native forests & an end to logging

That’s the outcome of a wide-reaching survey by the Victorian Government into the ‘Future of Our Forests‘.

The survey included:

• 126 face-to-face events across the state involving over 2000 participants.
• On-line participation from 2824 people
• 49 youth participants from 22 youth organisations
• 14 written submissions

Amazingly, formal face-to-face engagement was conducted in 57 towns and cities across the state and the larger towns and cities had multiple engagement events. Responses to the survey questions overwhelmingly called for improved protection for native forests – for biodiversity, ecosystem services, climate change, Traditional Owners, human health, recreational use.

The survey confirms what has been known for some time that, in this age of extinction and an unfolding, accelerating climate crisis, the protection and holistic management our native forests and natural areas is critical to the health of the land and humans. Enlightened, evidence-based forest management in the face of climate change is about ‘saving the furniture’, while we still can. Healthy, biodiverse forests stand the best chance of helping Victorian communities cope with the worst threats of climate change. The time to end native forest logging and transition to plantations is now.

Links:

• Future of Our Forests – program outline, reports, meetings
• Feedback Report, Phase 1 Engagement