When the Victorian Environment Assessment Council released a draft report recommending the Wombat Forest be transformed into a combination of national, regional and conservation parks, Wombat Forestcare immediately jumped on board.
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At a recent gathering in the Wombat Forest, residents discussed how important the biodiversity of the forest is and how much they appreciate the natural environment of flora, fauna and fungi so close to their doorstep.
The users said the proposed regional park, which will stretch from Trentham to Blackwood, would allow forest users to walk their dogs, ride horses and would permit domestic firewood collection.
Angela, of Lyonville, said she attended the meeting of people as she was concerned about the protection of the forest now and into the future.
“I really care about the endangered species like Powerful Owls and Greater Glider that live in the Wombat Forest and I know that park status will protect them forever,” she said.
“I am afraid that if we don’t get park status logging will begin again and we will risk losing the precious species that live in our wonderful forest.”
VEAC chair Janine Haddow said biodiversity was under threat due to issues like climate change, so it was working to conserve 17 per cent of areas with the greatest concentration of endangered species with national parks and conservation reserves.
“In 1980 there were about 100 threatened species in the Wombat, now there are 375. So there is a real biodiversity crisis happening.
“There will always be different opinions, but our objective is to get the best balance.”