Ask the Conservation Regulator to give a hoot about Powerful Owls - Victorian National Parks AssociationVictorian National Parks Association

INVESTIGATE DODGY OWL HAVEN LOGGING

Dear Chief Conservation Regulator

CC: Minister for Environment

Re: Threatened Owl species detected at Mount Cole state forest

I write to you about the threatened species detention report released by Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) on ongoing logging operations impacting on threatened wildlife at Mount Cole State Forest.

Like myself, VNPA has serious concerns that logging operations by VicForests are negatively impacting the wildlife, plantlife and natural and cultural values of an area identified in the VEAC investigation as worthy of protection within a national park.

As a nature-lover and a keen conservationist, I am deeply concerned about the future of the habitat of the newly discovered populations of Powerful Owl detected across the landscape at Mt. Cole, as well as Koala and number of other non-listed species. I understand these areas are scheduled to be logged by VicForests and that they have not conducted pre-logging surveys in areas they plan to log.

I share VNPA’s concerns that Powerful Owl habitat and areas worthy of being included into a National Park will be clear felled by VicForests due to the lack of appropriate, independent, pre-logging survey work undertaken at Mt. Cole.

As evidenced in the report, while Koalas are considered secure in Victoria, they are under considerable pressure nationally from habitat loss and fragmentation as well as increased fire events like the 2019/20 bushfires. Significant measures are in place to manage Koala welfare in timber plantations – I believe the same level of scrutiny should apply in native forests.

I understand this is the third detection report submitted by VNPA documenting threatened species recorded within areas scheduled for logging.

There are a high number of threatened species in the state’s central west forests. The other reports also document instances where critically endangered and endemic Mt. Cole Grevillea were found by VNPA citizen scientists within forest about to be logged.

These findings highlight the need to closely monitor the activities of logging agencies in the west. The apparent lack of independent oversight of logging operations in the west puts at risk many of these important places, species and values.

As your role is to monitor compliance with regulatory requirements and take enforcement action against non-compliance, I support an investigation of the lack of pre-logging surveys of the areas in Mount Cole that VicForests plan to log.

VNPA's continued survey work and detection of threatened and endangered species in the forests of Mt. Cole highlight the need to accept the VEAC recommendations to protect these values for everyone, forever, so that logging does not impact on either threatened species or the conservation values of the proposed national park.

BREAKING: We’ve discovered Powerful Owls living in the native forests of Mt. Cole for the first time in decades. But VicForests are still logging the habitat trees they call home.

VicForests don’t survey the areas they plan to log in the west. So our citizen scientists used acoustic recorders to monitor the forests for signs of wildlife. We discovered a population of Australia’s largest owl is living in habitat slated for logging, or actively being bulldozed.

The Chief Conservation Regulator oversees Victoria’s nature protection laws. Their job is to make sure Victoria’s laws are actually protecting threatened native wildlife.

Ask the Conservation Regulator to give a hoot about Powerful Owls.

These areas are proposed national parks and too important to clear-fell.

The best way to keep these owls (and other critters) safe is in new national parks. Until then clearfelling these owl havens must stop.

The forests of the central west are natural refuges for wildlife and people. Some 380 rare and threatened birds, mammals, insects and plants call them home.

Independent experts recommended 60,000 ha of central west forest and woodlands be protected in new national parks over a year ago. The Victorian Government still hasn’t created them.

Read our Powerful Owl detection report here.

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Powerful Owl © David Lochlin

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