Styx Valley and the Upper Florentine

[biggerry]

Well you have probably all heard about it, the Styx Valley and the Upper Florentine in Tasmania, I had the pleasure of meeting some people down there involved with the campaign whilst on my trip there. I also had the pleasure of meeting the local loggers as well

My hat goes off to these people willing to risk life, limb and financial ruin (due to gunns lawsuits) to achieve what is considered a greater good and in nutshell I agree with what they are doing. Contrary to popular belief, these guys are not dope smoking hippies either, although some may look like that

The 2nd image is the path leading to a logging coupe that will probably be clear-felled soon, the 'Timbs Track' Logging Road was in the process of being upgraded while we were there and was going at a serious rate of knots so I imagine this coupe is probably lost

Just quickly, the process of 'Sustainable' Logging is as follows;

1) Clearfell, explode and crush timber, including old growth and trees like myrtles and sassasfras which stand up to 70 metres.
2) Burn it - this does not discriminate against adjacent areas as one would imagine. All in the name of re-growth
3) Plant quick growing eucalypt plantations
4) Bait the area with poisoned carrots - oh, you ask whys that? so the locals (wildlife, the ones left from the fire) don't eat the nice plantations....

anyways...enough of me banging on...

so think twice about which ream of paper you buy next time









and for more info....

http://www.stillwildstillthreatened.org/
http://www.myspace.com/stillwildstillthreatened

and if you want to see some REAL photos of tassie from a local down there, check out Rob Blakers site, you can also find him in most Wilderness Society Publications.

http://www.robblakers.com/

* edited to update image and my great spelling/grammar skills....

[DaveB]

Great work! I'm hoping to get back to these areas in the next year or so myself. Thanks for the reminder.

The petals in #2 seem overexposed though. And the 'W' in #4 is slightly OOF.

[biggerry]

#2 seem overexposed thoug

yeah, replaced with a slighty less exposed one

[gstark]

Gerry,

#3 gives me the feeling that I'm in a damp campsite by the side of the road, which I suspect is exactly the intent. Well done.

[photohiker]

Biggerry,

Thanks for posting this description of the process and the photos. I also witnessed the burn event first hand (from a healthy distance) whilst hiking the Overland track year before last. The poisoned bait - did you hear if they are still using 1080? - and the monoculture replanting is the final insult to gross injury. No wonder people get committed to the cause.

I had the pleasure of spending a few days with Rob Blakers last year in the Tarkine area. His bushcraft and photography are excellent. I have spent a bit of time in Tasmania, but I learnt more about the Tassie bush on that trip than ever before.

Late last year, Rob edited a self-published a book called 'Wild Forest' which is a compilation of 11 photographers images taken in and of forest coupes zoned for logging within the next few years. The excellent images and essays within easily justify the minimal pricetag: Rob Blakers, Wild Forest Book

Now I want to go back.

Michael

[Mr Darcy]

A reasonable summary, but you forgot step 5:
5. Chip the logs you get in step 3 and ship them to China for $0.50 /tonne

Never did work out why they don't sell the logs (in step 1) as lumber for $50.00 per tonne (I pay considerably more, but I'm buying retail)

[biggerry]

did you hear if they are still using 1080

I vaguely remember seeing signs for it since I recall thinking 'bad fox problem down here!', but later learned that there are not many, if any foxes in tassie . The also have a crack team for tracking down foxes once scat is found.

I had the pleasure of spending a few days with Rob Blakers last year in the Tarkine area.

I met Rob at the Timbs track road, but did not realise who he was - he did however educate me on the situation down there

book called 'Wild Forest'

saw it at the wilderness society shop in Hobart - this is on my list after Pedder. The Story The Paintings by Max Angus which I had the pleasure of seeing the launch for at gleebooks in sydney the other day, buying books is expensive

5. Chip the logs you get in step 3 and ship them to China for $0.50 /tonne

ahh yes... Tasmanians get $X.XX per tonne, gunns gets 100 times that and the pulp mill gets 1000 times that again! - if i am not mistaken, Tasmanians are paying to have their forests cut down (based on subsidies provided by Forestry Tasmania to Loggers)

they don't sell the logs (in step 1) as lumber for $50.00 per tonne

at least that might be a slightly less bitter pill to swallow. I agree though the wood from these trees is AMAZING and is wasted badly by being 'accidentally' split to go to chips.

which I suspect is exactly the intent. Well done.

Thanks, yes it was part of the plan....if you think its wet there, imagine the tree sitters....

[Alex]

Excellent images and nice info.

Alex

[Killakoala]

Excellent and emotive images.

When I am premier of Tasmania, the logging will stop outside of plantations. (Assuming there is any old growth left to protect)

[Mr Darcy]

When I am premier of Tasmania, the logging will stop outside of plantations. (Assuming there is any old growth left to protect)

And you would play straight into Gunn's hands.
They are actively stripping the old growth forests, and burning that AMAZING timber. I have a friend who built his entire house for free by wandering in to the clear felled areas with a firewood collecting permit & pulling out entire logs of Celery Top, Myrtle etc.

Then they replant, you guessed it, plantations, for use in the wood pulp industry. So by shutting down selective logging for high quality cabinet timbers, Gunns will be the only ones still able to operate.

By comparison, NZ log by helicopter. They find a high quality tree, tie a rope around the top & hook up to a helicopter. Then a ground crew chainsaws the base & they lift the whole tree out. No damage at all to the surrounding forest!

[biggerry]

thanks for the comments - I really wanted some cracking shots of big trees to add to this series but I have not yet got to them + they are remarkably hard to capture because they are so damn big

(Assuming there is any old growth left to protect)

I have faith the logging will eventually stop, its just a matter of how much tassie is felled before that happens.

built his entire house for free by wandering in to the clear felled areas

Its funny you say that, there were quite a few homes close to the styx (ie Maydena and another little town east of that which escapes me at the moment) that were/are constructed from wood panelling, like weatherboard houses but with nice varnish or lacquer (not sure but you see the timber colour etc) finish, these looked absolutely great and i reckon they would last 100 years

Its astounding that we can buy cheap malaysian funiture from their rainforest but not buy high end tables etc made from myrtle - I am sure Mr Darcy can explain what myrtle would be good for.

By comparison, NZ log by helicopter

ahh yes, they (heliharvest) use the awesome russian Mil-8 helicopter, close to my heart and work, check out our conversion for the stealth movie a few years ago...

[photohiker]

Its astounding that we can buy cheap malaysian funiture from their rainforest but not buy high end tables etc made from myrtle - I am sure Mr Darcy can explain what myrtle would be good for.

I've not seen them anywhere but Tasmania, but you can buy them, and Myrtle makes for a stunning table.

There's a Tasmanian Design Centre in Launceston where we saw some great furniture, but managed to escape with our bank balance intact...

Michael

[colin_12]

This is a good series Gerry,
It is always a sad thing for me to see a lot of trees felled.

[biggerry]

but managed to escape with our bank balance intact

mine would not cover any of those! That said if you buy one (bed in particular) it should last a lifetime....so not really that expensive i guess

This is a good series Gerry,
It is always a sad thing for me to see a lot of trees felled.

ta, i understand, especially given your profession, even sadder knowing it will take hundreds of years just to replace a single tree of typical size...