Greens MP David Shoebridge yesterday visited 11 of the 18 compartments surrounding Brooman and Shallow Crossing State Forests which are currently slated for logging.
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He thinks the future of the forests is in tourism - not logging.
"What I saw was forests with enormous potential, not as wood-chips but as places for tourism, local engagement and recreation.
"With a small investment, we could create networks of walking and mountain bike trails, places to camp, sensitive eco-tourism and kayak trails, while also protecting these forests.
"Protecting these forests from logging doesn't mean locking them up, it can mean opening them up in a way that has never been possible before.
"COVID has us all looking for local opportunities to explore and where better than the forests and national parks of the south coast?
"Everything changed after the fires, and we need to make sure the Government understands that this must include the end of native forest logging and a real plan for the future."
He remained stunned by the area's beauty.
"Every time I visit the forests in this region I'm struck by both their incredible beauty and the passion of the local community for protecting them," Mr Shoebridge said.
"Local activists and citizen scientists are working hard to protect what they can in these forests, including by marking out trees that are supposed to be protected under the current rules.
"From logging trucks damaging the roads, intimidating locals to continued breaches of logging rules, it's clear this industry has lost its social license."
