MARGARET River residents fighting to save the Mowen Forest from being logged will wait on crucial decisions to be made by local and state governments this week.
The Shire of Augusta Margaret River Council will tonight decide whether to endorse a community petition to save Mowen Forest before it is tabled in state parliament tomorrow.
Margaret River campaigning group Save Mowen Forest has led the petition to the WA Legislative Council to cease all logging operations in Mowen Forest. The petition currently has 1616 signatures.
Save Mowen Forest representative and Margaret River Regional Environment Centre committee member Naomi Godden said it was one of the biggest community petitions in recent times.
"Previously the council has publicly voiced its concerns about issues such as the proposed coalmine, which was successfully stopped," she said.
"Many members of our community are concerned about the environmental, social, economic and cultural impacts of the logging of Mowen Forest.
"We hope that our council listens to and respects the voice of the people."
Shire councillor Felicity Haynes brought the motion to support the petition to tonight's council meeting in Margaret River.
Councillors will vote on the motion at tonight's meeting in Margaret River.
Ms Godden urged the community to attend the meeting to demonstrate their support for the petition.
The Forest Product Commission shows in its South West Harvest Plan 2013 that 1610 hectares would be cleared from the Mowen Forest area.
According to the commission's website the Mowen Forest has been used for harvesting timber since 2009.
