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ABOUT US

 

WHO - Forest Network were volunteers within Friends of the Earth in Melbourne, Australia. Forest Network was active from 1993 to 2005.

 

WHAT – a group working for the preservation and conservation of forests. We are committed to providing information on forest issues and non-violent direct action and activism to secure the earths ecological future and a sustainable and equitable society.

Where & When - Forest Network are no longer meeting on a regular basis. Contact FoE if you wish to get involved with Barmah Millewah Campaign or the Forest Action Trust.

Forest Network will endeavour to keep this site going. Updates may not be consistent but we will continue to work on adding to this site and improving it's quality.

Friends of the Earth, 312 Smith St. Collingwood, Vic. - PH. 03 9419 8700.

Left - Strzelecki Ranges

 

Mission Statement

We believe in the intrinsic value of all species and landscapes present on the Earth and therefore wish to adopt systems of production that fulfil basic human needs with minimal impact on the natural environment.

We are committed to the promotion and protection of native forests and timber production methods that rehabilitate degraded lands.

We are trying to protect high conservation value forests and promote the shift to an ecologically viable wood products industry in Australia.

Our aim is to preserve all the values of native forests in a way that ensures the continued healthy functioning of all of the processes of native forest ecosystems.

More specifically this would entail:

  • The maintenance of catchment integrity;
  • The protection of all threatened species' habitats and ensuring that other species do not become threatened;
  • Immediate protection of all remaining ecologically significant native forests, including rainforest, old growth forest and other under-represented forest types;
  • The elimination of any practices and activities which are a threat to nutrient or soil conservation or undermine the integrity of ecological processes;
  • Maintaining the diversity of species and ecological communities and the genetic diversity of forest plants, animals and insects.

Grass tree, Mullungdang State Forest - Strzelecki Ranges

We recognise the interdependence between ecological sustainability and social justice, and so the two are on an equal platform. We will endeavour to:

  • Support viable, diverse and socially responsible local economies for forested regions;
  • Have real, informed and constructive participation in forest management decisions by local communities and other interested people;
  • Have bioregional principles incorporated in forest and land management;
  • Preserve the social, cultural and spiritual values of the forest.

It has been recognised that water, tourism, recreation, spiritual and ecological values of forests are being severely degraded by current logging practices. We are working towards the transformation of the existing timber industry to one that is ethical, sustainable and intergenerationally responsible.

This would involve:

  • A shift to sustainable paper production ;
  • Utilising existing plantations and establishing additional native mixed-species plantations on previously cleared or degraded land;
  • Restructuring in favour of a wood products industry based on sustainable sources, with the extraction of native forest products only in ways consistent with the conservation and social objectives mentioned earlier;
  • Recognising that native forests cannot support export woodchipping and that "waste" timber alone cannot support this practice.

The transition to such an industry would necessitate the immediate withdrawal from ecologically significant forests and allow timber extraction only in areas modified extensively by recent human intervention, such as areas that have already been clearfelled. The timber removed should be processed to its highest possible value, creating products of the highest quality and longevity. Extensive forest rehabilitation programmes can provide employment, especially for rural areas. Displaced forest workers should be fully compensated and offered suitable retraining in everything from land rehabilitation to ecotourism.

We aim to achieve community empowerment by:

  • Informing the general public about forest issues;
  • Giving individuals a vehicle to act on their concern for the forest;
  • Gaining the support of voters, consumers and shareholders;
  • Building alliances with Aboriginal communities;
  • Building strategic alliances with community groups, industries and other non-governmental organisations;
  • Encouraging the public to remove their support for destructive forest industries.

The primary campaign tools available to achieve our desired ends are:

  • Outreach and community education;
  • Nonviolent direct action;
  • Economic intervention / boycott;
  • Networking;
  • Use of media;
  • Research and information provision.

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