Forestry Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Forestry Tasmania is a Tasmania
n state government-owned corporation
. It runs the state-owned forestry
for tourism
and logging
(for wood chips and timber) including the Tahune Airwalk and Upper Florentine Valley.
and the Wilderness Society
) criticising its relationship with the Gunns
corporation and its relationship (as a state government owned corporation) to the government.
Recent controversy regarding the role of Forestry Tasmania has been highlighted by grass roots community activism in the Upper Florentine Valley which has prompted many arrests in the last few years and drawn media attention towards the logging of Old Growth Forests.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
n state government-owned corporation
Government-owned corporation
A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...
. It runs the state-owned forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
for tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
(for wood chips and timber) including the Tahune Airwalk and Upper Florentine Valley.
Controversy
Forestry Tasmania's role in Tasmanian forests is controversial, with a number of organisations (including the Tasmanian GreensTasmanian Greens
The Tasmanian Greens are a political party in Australia which developed from numerous environmental campaigns in Tasmania, including the flooding of Lake Pedder and the Franklin Dam campaign...
and the Wilderness Society
The Wilderness Society (Australia)
The Wilderness Society is an Australian, community-based, not-for-profit non-governmental environmental advocacy organisation. Its purpose is to protect, promote and restore wilderness and natural processes across Australia for the survival and ongoing evolution of life on Earth.It is a...
) criticising its relationship with the Gunns
Gunns
Gunns Limited is a major forestry enterprise located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1875 by brothers John and Thomas Gunn, it is one of Australia's oldest companies. It has over 900 square kilometres of plantations, mainly eucalyptus trees. It is Tasmania’s largest private land-owner...
corporation and its relationship (as a state government owned corporation) to the government.
Recent controversy regarding the role of Forestry Tasmania has been highlighted by grass roots community activism in the Upper Florentine Valley which has prompted many arrests in the last few years and drawn media attention towards the logging of Old Growth Forests.