[Greens-Media] Greens seek revocation of sustainable forest management certification handed to the Forest Products Commission

[Walker, Nadine]

Greens seek revocation of sustainable forest management certification handed to the Forest Products Commission
Media statement, Thursday, 23 October 2014. 

Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren has labelled the Forest Products Commission (FPC) 'remarkably audacious and plainly irresponsible' for seeking (and gaining) an environmental tick of approval from the world's leading timber certifying body, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). 

"How the FPC has managed to persuade the FSC that it meets the criteria for sustainable and ethical forest management remains to be seen. I will be asking the Minister for Forestry whether she believes that wood chipping 600 year old karri trees and destroying habitat for WA endemic endangered species is sustainable. 

"I will also be asking the Minister to acknowledge that threatened Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, Mainland Quokkas, and Chuditch have lost vital habitat as a direct result of FPC logging. 

"The FSC is an internationally recognised independent, non-government, not-for-profit organisation established to promote the responsible management of the world's forests with an established reputation for certifying sustainable forest management. No matter how the FPC tries to spin it, their practices are simply not sustainable. They should never have sought this accreditation from this organisation in the first place. 

"It is time for the Minister for Forestry and the FPC to acknowledge that seeking and falsely gaining this certification is misleading, they must hand this certification back to the FSC. Not only does the FPC look disingenuous in seeking this accreditation with misleading information, they have also risked the reputation of the FSC by leading them down the garden path. 

"The Greens WA do not support the logging and clearing of native forests and woodlands. After decades of clearing, over-cutting and general mismanagement, many of our native forest and woodland ecosystems have been left fragmented, degraded and in need of protection and restoration. 

"I will be making a formal complaint about this certification to the certifying body - Soil Association Woodmark."

For comment: Hon Lynn MacLaren MLC
Mobile 0403 721 951

Media liaison: Nadine Walker
Mobile 0449 189 195