Native Forest Action
www.nfa.org.nz
Media Release
14 May 2000
GOVERNMENT URGED TO IGNORE ANTI-CONSERVATION MINISTERS
Native Forest Action has urged the Government to pull state loggers out of the Okarito and Saltwater Forests in South
Westland when it makes its decision on West Coast rimu forests tomorrow. It says every extra month of logging in these
national park-standard forests robs the country's natural heritage.
Spokesperson Dean Baigent-Mercer said that the group was concerned that the Government's native forest conservation
policy was being driven by Ministers who were unsympathetic to protecting the forests.
"We don't understand why Michael Cullen and Jim Anderton, after offering $120 million of public money to Coasters to
ensure protection of these forests, are now pushing the government in an anti-conservation direction."
"It will be very sad if some of Okarito and Saltwater are sacrificed for timber production because Ministers have
yielded to industry lobbying."
"Overall we are pleased that the West Coast forests are going to be protected but if they are worth protecting then it
is worth stopping the logging now. We of course would not want to see people lose their jobs, but we believe there are
already alternative timber supplies that do not necessitate logging thousands more trees from high value forests."
"Okarito and Saltwater are the best of Timberlands forests. A 1997 officials report prepared for then Prime Minister Jim
Bolger identified Okarito and Saltwater as the most likely forests to qualify for protection in any review of
Timberlands forests. We urge Labour and the Alliance to pull the logging gangs out of these forests immediately."
For more information contact: Dean Baigent-Mercer 04-383-5168