A Lismore local is engaged in a protest action to halt native forest logging in the Doubleduke State Forest near Woodburn.
23 year-old law student, Kashmir Miller, has suspended herself on a platform 25m high in a tree by a rope attached to three NSW Forestry machines.
‘Native forest logging is accelerating the climate crisis,’ Ms Miller says.
‘Every tree cut down is a step further along in the extinction crisis. We need to preserve the amazing, unique biodiversity of Doubleduke for our own sake, as well as the wildlife.’
The 2,600 hectare forest is located 50 km south of Lismore and was closed by authorities in February as a response to increased protest activity in the area.
The forest was heavily impacted by the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires, and is a known habit for several vulnerable and endangered species, including koalas, four species of large forest owls, and the yellow-bellied glider.
Local ecologist, Anastasia Guise, says: ‘the 2019-20 bushfires had a catastrophic impact on threatened species already under enormous pressure from climate change and environmental land use changes on a landscape-scale.’
The Save the Banyabba Koala group have called for a stop to all logging in Doubleduke State Forest.
‘This forest is full of old, hollow-bearing trees which are essential habitat for these species, and one of the key features we know were lost right across the landscape during the fires,’ Ms Guise says.
‘Extinction is forever. We need to take seriously the protection of species and habitats in the long term, and industrialised logging of native habitat is absolutely counter to that purpose.’
A 2020 inquiry into NSW koala populations and habitat found that without action, koalas in NSW could be extinct by 2050.
Well done Kashmir Miller
Such a brave thing to do to help stop the logging and to protect the habitat of our precious, endangered koala population.
Doubleduke State Forest is home to many threatened species, including the Barking Owl, Coastal Emu (Endangered Population), Little Lorikeet, Yellow-bellied gliders, Koalas and was hammered by the 2019 Black Summer fires and 2022 Floods. It is well reported that Forestry Corp. has a systemic problem with complying with regulations meant to protect these threatened species and the contractors fined for illegal logging of endangered ecological communities in our public native forests including Doubleduke State Forest. The giant old trees that Kashmir is trying to protect were saved by protestors a decade. Our forests have been hammered so hard the past decade that Forestry Corp. and the timber companies are going for the last of our big old trees that should be protected for habitat and to mitigate climate change. It is right for Kashmir to try and protect not only the threatened animals future but also her generations future. Forestry Corp. operates at millions of dollars loss to taxpayers. It’s not only a bad for environmental reasons, it’s a bad economic loss for taxpayers. This logging is opening up the canopy creating space for weeds and to dry out the landscape recoverying from drought, fires and floods. It’s time the Labor minority government puts a moratorium if it is serious about protecting our threatened species and act on climate change.
Thank you Kashmir
I ride my mountain bike there, it’s really nice forest with some big, majestic trees that are possibly hundreds of years old. The wheelbase of my bike is 1200mm & the trunk on some of the trees is wider than that! I think it’s really important to respect & preserve these trees, i’m surprised the area isn’t a National Park.
So activists can’t be political candidates? Unsure what point you’re trying to make here but good on her, here’s to wishing Kashmir a great outcome in all the above endeavours.
Isn’t that the same Kashmir Miller who ran for the seat of Page in last years Federal election? Makes me wonder on her motives, the coverage and lack of mentioning this fact in the article….
Yes, koala habitat and we, like you, remember her. Not complicated.
Thank you brave inspiring Kashmir Miller! I applaud your actions
Another of our brave environment protectors.
Go well Kashmir.
Extraordinary young woman. A bright future.
Young lady, you will be surprised as to how this will all look to you when you are 40. Unexpected consequences.
Spare your wisdom please.