Wednesday 30th May 2001

Sandra Lee’s claim that bringing Timberlands West Coast indigenous forests under DoC’s management is a landmark decision in world forest conservation is both dishonest and insulting to the West Coast and scientific communities” says ACT Forestry spokesman Ken Shirley.

“World experts who have inspected these forests agree that Timberlands was one of the best examples of ecologically based sustainable forest management – a model to the world.

“Why was the Government so determined to cancel the scheduled Environment Court hearings when it reneged on the West Coast Accord? The reason was quite simple; the scientific evidence conclusively showed that Timberlands’ ecological management was vastly superior to that of the Department of Conservation.

“Timberlands predator control programmes ensured that its forests far exceeded those of the DoC estate where the forests are degenerating through lack of commitment and resource.

“The West Coast Conservation Board, who advises the Minister of Conservation, supported Timberlands and opposed the transfer of these lands to DoC. The fact that Sandra Lee is now required to spend an additional $1 millon of taxpayers’ money to allow DoC to manage these forests is a disgrace when Timberlands was doing a better job at no cost to the taxpayer while at the same time paying a dividend to Government and providing jobs in the local economy from their strictly sustainable harvesting operations.

“No amount of spin from Sandra Lee can change the hard facts and her and her Government should be condemned for their disgraceful actions on this issue” concluded Ken Shirley.

ENDS

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