The small North East town has boomed on the back of visitors coming to ride the trails and millions have been invested.“Over $8 million of federal grants have been sunk into the trail networks around the Blue Derby network,” Blue Derby Wild said on Monday.“Logging the forests and natural assets that brings so many people to our part of the world is undermining these taxpayer grants and the future of eco-based tourism in the region.“And it is being done to prop up a loss-making industry that is heavily subsidised by the taxpayers of Tasmania.”Blue Derby Wild says protest action would be staged if the Tasmanian government allowed the logging to continue.“The hill that overlooks the town of Derby has three coupes scheduled for logging that surround the Krushka’s, Dambusters and Atlas MTB trails,” the group said on Monday.It said work had already started in the Krushka’s forest area known as CC119A.“Despite opposition to logging the forests Sustainable Timbers Tasmania has ignored all community and MTB business feedback,” a spokesman said.A protest is planned for March 21 which is International Day for Forests.“Join us in calling on Premier Peter Gutwein to halt logging of these forests in the hills surrounding Derby and the Blue Derby MTB trails.”“If you’ve ever stayed with a Derby accommodation business, or travelled with a Derby MTB shuttle bus company, ask them what they are doing to protect the forests that supports their business.“We need the business owners to get active and protect the forests that are building their wealth base.”The Tasmanian government was contacted for comment.Mercury digital subscription [email protected]



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