The Forestry Corporation searched a NSW forest for greater gliders during the day, when the endangered animals would have been asleep.

But the Environment Protection Agency has slapped it with two successive 40-day stop work orders amid concerns over its efforts to preserve hollow den trees the gliders need to survive.

She noted many more hollow trees that might in fact be den trees had been retained.

Three conservation groups recently went into the forest and found 17 den trees over a small area, but their survey work was done from dusk into the night. They’ve welcomed the action by the EPA but say it’s time for the NSW government to intervene.

“However, it does require them to plan, implement and undertake forestry operations in a competent manner, including to find and protect all greater glider dens with 50-metre exclusion zones,” it said.

  • Mothra@mander.xyz
    ·
    1 year ago

    Am I interpreting this right? "We didn't see any endangered species during our closed-eyes surveys, these forests are fair game" ?

    • brave@aussie.zone
      ·
      1 year ago

      Yes Australian possums are much cuter than American ones!

      Although these are "Great Gliders", big gliding possums. Very few Australians see them as they are rare and only live in forests.

    • boogetyboo@aussie.zone
      ·
      1 year ago

      These aren't common ones but the 2 below are:

      Common brushtail possum https://g.co/kgs/AZjnQA

      Common ringtail possum https://g.co/kgs/NRNcE5