Media Release
22nd January 2010
Leading scientists issue the Woodlands Declaration to WA
Premier calling for urgent protection of Great Western
Woodlands
Growing concern about uncontrolled wildfires and poor management of the globally
significant Great Western Woodlands in the south west of WA has prompted more than
50 leading Australian and international environmental scientists to issue a public alert to
the West Australian Premier Colin Barnett calling for urgent action to ensure long term
sustainable use and conservation outcomes.
The scientists have sent the Premier, and Minister for the Environment, Donna
Faragher, the Woodlands Declaration, which details the importance of protecting the
Great Western Woodlands - the largest remaining habitat of its type on Earth.
The Woodlands Declaration was released today by two of the internationally respected
scientists, Dr. Denis Saunders, member of the Wentworth Group and President of WWF
Australia, and Professor Stephen Hopper, Director, Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew,
England, the world’s leading botanical garden.
“Protecting the Great Western Woodlands is of international importance,” the
Woodlands Declaration states.
“We urge you to act decisively. Appropriate protective tenures and effective land
management are needed to secure the biodiversity, ecological integrity, carbon stocks
and the other social and economic values of this extraordinary landscape.”
Covering 16 million hectares, an area three times the size of Tasmania, the Great
Western Woodlands are by far the largest remaining temperate woodland of its type on
Earth.
“As a Western Australian, I don’t think we’ve appreciated yet how extraordinarily rare
and important it is to have the Great Western Woodlands still intact,” said Professor
Hopper. “In other parts of the world, semi-arid woodlands like these have been largely
cleared, degraded or turned to desert. The Great Western Woodlands are recognised as
an area of global mega-diversity and are invaluable as a carbon sink in helping moderate
global warming.”
Dr. Denis Saunders said, “Although still in good shape the Great Western Woodlands
are now increasingly threatened by uncontrolled wildfires, the spread of invasive feral
animals and weeds and the accumulated effects of mining and road construction.”
“Urgent action is needed if we are to effectively protect species such the Regent Parrot,
Crested Bellbird, and many threatened native plant species,” he said.
Media Enquiries: call Paul Sheridan on 0410516656
NEWS 
