Your emails will make the difference. We need to let the ministers know that we are watching and we support the protection of the koalas in Pine Creek State Forest...and beyond. We have attached the email addresses for the relevant ministers and a draft email that you can use or adapt. Please take a minute to send a couple of emails today. 

And thank you to all who have signed and donated in support. Please reshare it far and wide, so we can keep spreading the word. 

For the koalas,

Friends of Pine Creek

Email addresses

Hon Chris Minns MP (NSW Premier)

Hon Penny Sharpe MLC (State Minister for Environment)

Hon Tara Moriarty MLC (Minister for Agriculture)

Dear 

I am writing to call for the immediate adoption of The Forest Bridge proposal for Pine Creek State Forest and the end to logging in both plantations and native forest in the areas covered by the Forest Bridge proposal. I support the Forest Bridge because:  

• The Forest Bridge is necessary for long term survival of Koalas by mitigating the effects of climate change, catastrophic events (such as heat stress, fire, drought) and ensuring the recruitment and movement of animals by connecting Bongil Bongil and Bindarri National Park (both Assets of Intergenerational Significance).
  The plantation mapping in Pine Creek SF is not accurately representative of the ecology of the forest. There are healthy wet sclerophyll forests full of mixed native tree species that provide habitat to koalas and other creatures, that are wrongly designated as plantations.
• The Forest Bridge provides significant ecological connectivity through a corridor from escarpment to the coast on public land, that does not rely on the actions of private landholders to protect our koalas.
• The biggest threat to Koalas is loss or modification of habitat and logging does both these things. Koalas need diversity and logging has reduced this to a level where populations will no longer be able to survive long term. 
• Research shows that logging is drying out the moist wet sclerophyll forests and creates an even greater fire risk, we need to start reversing this now.
  The public forests are a natural resource that belongs to the people, why is the timber industry the driving force in their management when the majority of people want to see more habitat protection.
• Australia leads the world in mammal extinctions yet continues to lose millions of hectares of habitat every year. (7 million in 2020)
• Latest Australian Koala foundation data shows NSW leads Australia in Koala decline (41% since 2018). The situation is dire.
• Australian Koala foundation shows the region of Cowper has the largest Koala population in NSW but is in decline. It makes sense to protect as much habitat here while we still have a chance.
• The NSW State Government has committed to the creation of The Great Koala National Park 
• Pine Creek State Forest and surrounds did not burn in 2019 bushfires. It is essential to protect these unburnt areas to help populations recover and disperse back into burnt areas.
• Australia is participating in (Cop 15) a UN initiative to protect 30% of the world’s biodiversity – the forests of the north coast are amongst the most biodiverse in the world and should be protected. They are a more valuable resource protected than a timber industry resource. Australia has signed an agreement to “halt and reverse” deforestation and land degradation by 2030 at COP 26.

For the koalas,

Signed