THE state government has rejected $90,000 to stop the logging of the Mowen Forest.
Forestry minister Mia Davies received the offer by Save Mowen Forest group on Tuesday, February 17.
Ms Davies said the forestry industry was an important part of the fabric of the South West and the government would continue to support the industry.
Margaret River environmentalists have been campaigning against the logging of the Mowen Forest by the Forest Product Commission since November last year.
It started with a petition of more than 1600 signatures supported by the Shire of Augusta Margaret River council and taken to state parliament.
In December the group launched a fundraising drive to pay the state government to permanently abandon logging the native forest.
Campaigner Naomi Godden said questions in Parliament in 2014 revealed that the State Government’s Forest Products Commission stood to earn a net income of approximately $90 000 from logging Mowen Forest.
Donations came from the community as well as musician John Butler, author Ben Elton and chef Ian Parmenter.
Mr Elton said the glories of WA’s natural environment were priceless.
“If we continue to squander them in this insane and unsustainable manner we will be shamed in the eyes of every generation that follows us and rightly so,” he said.
Ms Davies said many local communities relied on the employment and opportunities the forestry industry creates.
“Harvesting of forest areas, like Mowen, employs people in the harvesting, processing and manufacturing sectors and also has flow on benefits to the wider communities including kids in schools, increased participation in community groups and sporting clubs and income being spent in local economies,” she said.
While the group continue to try and save the forest the logging has gone ahead and last Friday activists attached themselves to equipment in protest.
“Numerous community rallies, and nonviolent direct action to delay the logging, have occurred over the summer and we have the overwhelming support of the Margaret River community to protect what remains of the region’s native forest - starting with Mowen forest,” said Ms Godden.
Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren has also joined the fight saying the government had no other option but to accept the money raised.
Ms Davies said old-growth forest continued to be protected and was not available for harvesting.
“The forest proposed to be harvested is regrowth forest,” she said.
