Government accused of 'logging by another name' in WA forests

The Western Australian government is accused of conducting "logging by another name" through a process called ecological thinning. This involves removing smaller trees in native forests to allow the remaining larger trees to thrive. However, environmentalists and some scientists argue that this practice is essentially logging disguised as preservation efforts.

Ecological thinning aims to address drought-related stress on forests, which has increased due to a drying climate and historical logging practices. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) scientist Katinka Ruthrof reported that thinned forests show less water stress compared to unthinned areas. However, retired teacher and volunteer firefighter Jeff Thornton claims that the thinning process is similar to the past native logging, stating, "They don't care about the environment; they are just ripping up trees for money."

The DBCA emphasizes that they conduct independent inspections and assessments of thinned sites, managed by the Forest Products Commission. They also conduct ongoing research to evaluate the effectiveness of the thinning process. However, Professor David Lindenmayer from the Australian National University argues that there is limited scientific evidence to support the benefits of ecological thinning, stating, "I think there's a psyche that humans need to intervene in forests to somehow make them better."