Melbourne University experts agree with us that in some cases, fuel reduction burns increase fire risks in native forests.
Professor David Karoly and Dr Kevin Tolhurst told a bushfire seminar called to discuss proposed fuel reduction burns in the Otways that over time any burning starts to change the ecology of rainforest gullies so that they cease to be wet rainforest gullies and become dry fuel gullies which no longer protect the community or the forest.
"Increased fuel-reduction burning, as advocated by some sectors of the forest industry and associated lobby groups, will further exacerbate the situation," they said
Dr Tolhurst said extreme weather, caused by global warming, was a greater threat than fuel. Fuel load is not as important a factor as weather."
This is not confined to the Otways - the same applies around Grantville and in the Strzeleckis. We have great fears that the Royal Commission currently investigating the latest wildfires will be hoodwinked by the numbers of people who want to cut down all the trees and 'burn the bush'.
Tags:
fire risk, fuel reduction burns, native vegetation
Posted at: 08:03 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
Claims by the State Government that a $116.2 million package included in its budget is a boost for Parks and Biodiversity is downright misleading.
Of that total, $52.7 million is allocated for fuel reduction burning, a further $10 million is set aside to upgrade infrastucture at Point Nepean and $4 million to upgrade jetties. There are other allocations for visitor facilities, cycling and walking tracks and the 'ecological thinning' of trees which will presumably support the timber industry pulp mills. So the amount left which could loosely be described having any biodiversity value is less than $30 million - just 25% of the Government's "boost for Parks and Biodiversity" budget fantasy.
Oh dear!!!!!!
Tags:
biodiversity, victorian state budget
Posted at: 07:32 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink