I have discovered a whole new way of communicating with the world since I wrote my last column. I have started a "blog" at www.richardjwood.blogspot.com/.
A blog is a place on the internet where bloggers post something and others can then post a comment. There were about 4 million blogs operating in 2004.
This new way of communicating was considered influential during the US Presidential election. There is the well publicised story about bloggers bringing down CBS Television superstar Dan Rather by showing that documents critical of President Bush which he had promoted were fakes.
I started my blog with the idea it could be something of a "clearing house" for the bits of information I receive from readers of The Land and others -- information I want to communicate to the world, but which isn't going to make a column.
So, on 21st April I posted an email from Rod and Juleen Young on my blog. The Youngs are part of the Pilliga-Goonoo timber community in North West NSW.
They explained that the NSW government has refused to accept the Brigalow Region United Stakeholders (BRUS) Option and after a protest by the Greens in February 2003 the government placed a moratorium on 500 logging compartments of the best timber.
At issue is whether these forests in North West NSW should become National Park or continue to be State Forest and usable by the local timber community.
A decision from the government has been pending since 2002 and is now considered imminent.
Since I posted the email from the Youngs, 43 comments about their predicament have appeared on my blog including from foresters living as far away as Perth.
I was fascinated to read members of the local Pilliga community describing how this "pristine forest" is only 100 years old. John Oxley apparently described this now forest as open country. I was also interested to read how ironbark from these forests is exported to 27 countries including Africa where it is used for electric fence posts on wildlife reserves.
Interestingly this region now supports the highest density populations of barking owls known anywhere in NSW.
I wonder how the biodiversity might change if the forests become National Parks?
There is no proper monitoring of biodiversity in NSW National Parks so I have no idea how populations of different bird and animal species are trending in established National Parks.
There appears to be no data to support the widely held assumption that native animal and plant species are better protected in National Parks than State Forests.
Locking up the Pilliga-Goonoo forests will certainly come at a huge economic and social cost.
Before the moratorium the region supported a timber industry worth $38.4 million in gross output and generated employment for 420 people.
There are now 240 timber workers hanging on, impatient for a decision from the Carr government.
What I would really like to know is the potential environmental benefit of converting a State Forest to a National Park?
This information should be easy to find, but I have not been successful at tracking it down -- not even through my blog. Knowledgeable The Land readers may be able to help?
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