Media Release
13th February 2006

WELD ACTIVISTS STAGE "RETURN TO NATURE" ACTION
Community Activists from Camp Weld are today staging a "Return to Nature" statement on Parliament Lawns at 1pm.

Around 20 activists from the Lower Weld Valley will disrobe, using their bodies to spell out "huon.org", the website of the Huon Valley Environment Centre, the hub of the campaign to protect the threatened forests of the Lower Weld Valley. A media tree-sit will also be established.

" The residents of Camp Weld have decided to return to nature and strip themselves bare today to highlight the fact that our wilderness area's and high conservation value forests are being stripped bare by Forestry Tasmania," said spokesperson Jess McLachlan.

"Practices such as clearfelling are ravaging unique and ancient forests, not just in the Lower Weld but all over Tasmania," Jess McLachlan said.

Camp Weld has been established for the last five months, and is preventing the construction of a logging road that will open up 2000 hectares of World Heritage-valued wilderness to destructive logging practices. Further blockade camps have also been established in the Weld at Glover's Bluff and the Warra, stopping roading and logging operations in all threatened forests in the Lower Weld.

"The Lower Weld Valley contains threatened World Heritage forests set for destruction from industrial logging activities. Forestry Tasmania and the Lennon government are ignoring calls for dialogue regarding the protection
of these ancient forests. Given Mr Lennon's recent announcement regarding Recherche Bay we hope he will be open to discussions regarding protection of Tasmania's other iconic forest areas," Spokeperson Jess McLachlan said.

Contact
Jess McLachlan 0418 406 008
Jenny Weber 0427 366 929