#SaveRusty (twitter) Little Red Toolangi Tree House (facebook) littleredtreehouse@riseup.net (email) A social media storm has taken to new heights this week, after public interest in the SaveRusty campaign reached extraordinary levels. Just over 1.1 million people have become aware of the destruction in the Central Highlands. A banner was unfurled last week with 474,642+ credible individuals watching VicForests logging into extinction. This Sunday morning, on National Tree Day, the public will gather to unveil this weeks figures of concerned people. Rusty is a 34 hectare coupe of mixed species, mixed age native forest on the iconic Mt. Saint Leonard's in Toolangi State Forest, currently being logged primarily for wood-chips. Community surveys have shown 101 hollow-bearing habitat trees, many of them old growth, all vital for threatened species survival. Toolangi's forests are home to many threatened species including the Greater and Feathertail Glider, Sooty Owl and Pygmy Possum as well as Victoria's state emblem, the Leadbeater's Possum, recognised as endangered. The Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus Regnans) of Toolangi are the tallest flowering trees in the world and these forests store more carbon than any other forest on Earth. They are also the last habitat for the Leadbeater's Possum who require mature hollow-bearing trees. Specifically, Rusty contains an ANU 30 year research site that will be isolated by the clear-fell logging. There is a known recorded sighting within this coupe on the DEPI's Biodiversity Atlas of a Leadbeater's Possum. Three Greater Gliders and one Feathertail Glider were filmed on the night logging commenced by citizen scientists. Victoria's Potato Research Farm, now Vicspa, produce mini-tubers for 50% of Victoria's potato farmers, and have solely used water from this area for 65 years due to the consistently high quality of supply. Social media attention led to State Environment Minister Ryan Smith declaring that one tree (The Hugo Tree) out of the 101 hollow-bearing habitat trees will be spared, with a 50 meter buffer. This is pitifully embarrassing and an international disgrace for a threatened species that is facing being wiped off the face of this earth. Community opposition to the logging operation is avid. The area currently being logged was ringed by the 2009 bush fires, so it is inconceivable that the area is still open to what local residents are calling immoral, opportunistic logging. The now obviously desperate logging industry needs to transition into progressive plantation practices that could put Australia on the International stage. The community is heartened by the immense public outcry and support on social media and can now send a clear message to government bodies that the logging has no social, financial and environment license. The 100x100m Australian National University study area within the 35 hectare area of Rusty will not be logged by Vic Forests. However it is known that the Leadbeater's possum forages an area of 350m around it's nest site. Despite leaving the Study zone , the logging area will be burned after logging is completed. The intense radiant heat and smoke from the burn generally kills the animals in the surrounding area aswell as the logging area.

• published: 28 Jul 2014
• views: 632