SANPARKS ATTITUDE IN A SOUND BITE!

and some conflicting points of view...(see other letters below...)

The "TREE LOVERS" and the "FYNBOS FANATICS"

      

Letter extracts to protect the forests  and ring barking (Killing massive old Oak trees and more !!) wiping out decades of growth!

       

 

 

NAIVE CAPETONIANS.....THE FORESTS TO GO.....Their time is up!

 

"misguided campaigners cant see the forest from the trees"....Tony Weaver Cape Times

A MUST READ extract from article  "walking with Giants" (march 2006) in good weekend argus

Official Letter from SANPARKS

MORE ....OFFICIAL FROM SANPARKS

Did you see letter by Professor George Ellis ? Excellent READ IT!

Professor Fabio Todeschini (also excellent) READ IT!

Letter to Cape Times by Angus "stop cutting until the public are informed and have spoken!!" Urban Forest Protection Group

A Brilliant letter from a person living in London

Le...Monsieur...Dr ....Guy Preston....responds to Bill of London...(He is quite possibly the main force behind this campaign  ... One can only wonder what farmers who have shade aliens around their homes and people in the SA FORESTRY industry think of him ?? (A MUST READ...see also at the bottom of that page "ARTICLE OF THE MONTH...re the jacarandas of Pretoria" and Ronnie Kasrils saves the Jacaranda....)  FASCINATING

......Pretoria's purple haze, the legendary jacaranda trees, might still have a chance at survival. This is according to Councillor Philip Gohl, who sent a letter to the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, Ronnie Kasrils, to get the minister's help in saving these exotic trees that the city is well-known for locally and internationally. Min Kasrils has, in turn, written to the minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Thoko Didiza, and requested that the jacaranda tree, in terms of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, be categorised as trees that may be grown in a demarcated area....

More..........
INTERVIEW..............Some serious Dinero!
Guy Preston: It has been pretty effective. Working for Water has got a
budget this year of about $US50-million, which translated into our currency
makes it a considerable amount of money. It is the biggest conservation
program that's running in Africa. It employs 18,000 people, it has 350-odd
projects across the country, along with some supplementary programs that we
have on fire, called the Working on Fire program, and on wetlands, called
the Working for Wetlands program.

A one year budget of 50 mill dollars!! That's some serious Ampage ...especially in rand ..(350 million rand) perhaps a little tot could also go into national parks security like a few extra sub machine guns and hand grenades for deer park/ lions head & table mountain!)

 

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Hi

What can I do to help?

I am a frequent visitor to the forests & saw your poster (which has since been half torn off) at the entrance to the Cecelia plantation gate. I am appalled that we are to lose our beautiful forests & support your efforts to save our forests 100%. Well done! What can I do to help? I can circulate the petition, but what else is there for me to do?

Your site is great!

Sincerely,

Nadja Martinussen

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I have never read such rubbish in my life. Why would any European tourist travel 15000km to see pine forests that are almost identical to their own when it is our unique Fynbos, the trademark of the Cape's beauty which drew them here in the first place. And for your information, the moister mountain slopes around the Cape once supported indigenous forests which were infinitely more beautiful and water friendly while providing even more shade. Seeing as the yellowwoods take almost forever to grow isn't it important to plant them sooner rather than later so that our great grandchildren might have something to admire in ancient trees that were planted by us. If anybody tries to admire our magnificent Fynbos clad mountains from afar, it is immediately noticeable that its natural beauty is immediately disrupted by the hideous monochromatic unnatural plantations. Its ignorant closed minded attitudes like yours which are hindering the wonderful efforts that TMNP is making towards restoring biodiversity. So could you please kindly "Hou jou Bek" and stop wasting the time of the staff at TMNP and allow them to carry on with there job of maintaining TMNP's status as one of the world's most sought after World Heritage Site.
PS. If you love shade giving forests like these so much, your energy will be more appreciated in trying to preserve the tropical rainforests of the Congo. It might also serve you well to travel to TsitsiKama and see what Orange Kloof and Cecelia forest could look like in 200 hundred years if we start replanting indigenous forests in the moister regions around our mountains.

Richard Fienburg

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........I live in Forest Glade, Tokai. I have two small boys and my family and I have been enjoying Tokai Forest and other non-indigenous forests in our area for many years, for walking, biking, picnics, as shelter from wind and sun and even for the simple fact that they beautify the whole area in which we live.
 
Although we definitely appreciate and support the preservation of Fynbos, we do not believe that these wonderful forests should be sacrificed for the sake of purism, as they only comprise a very small percentage of the Table Mountain National Park and therefore do not pose a substantial threat. The enjoyment and beauty they provide for so many people far outweighs the fact that they're not indigenous. The idea that my boys might not be able to enjoy these forests with their own children one day is absolutely horrifying!
 
We hereby wholeheartedly support you and wish to save our forests!
 
Sandra Hewitson and family.

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I was handed your flyer at a Newland traffic light this weekend. I am so impressed with your website/campaign.
 
I grew up in Newlands Forest where my father was a forester. The old forest plantations throughout the Cape are an absolute asset to the environment....perfect for walks in the heat of summer and so atmospheric in winter...as your marvelous photographs show!
 
My father worked for Parks and Forests for over 35 years and is an expert on indigenous Fynbos, is horrified by the decimation of our old plantations and now refuses to go near Silvermine dam now that the pines have been felled, creating a moonscape.
 
Good luck with your campaign and I am forwarding your website to all my friends and colleagues.
 
Kind regards
Susan Brent

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Please send me a copy of your petition so I can send it round to my contacts. Am also most concerned about this over the top slashing of our shady trees.

Kind regards,

LINDY NAUTA

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