There’s been an election on Tasmania, so just a short piece today to belatedly mark International Forest Day on the 21 st March. This Year’s Theme is about unlocking the potential of forests through research, and yes, it’s high time Tasmania was doing that. We are still exporting the bulk of our valuable forests as woodchips - the lowest value of all to be turned into toilet paper and packaging for very little return. Even worse, we are importing timber for building and construction from the mainland and Asian countries so that would be a good place to start value adding, followed closely by growing seasonal crops such as hemp on unproductive lands for throwaway products. That should ensure reliable supply for both industries without having to to carve up more reserves. Wonder how Tasmanians will vote today? If they opt for the incumbents it will mean even more of our forests being cleared, rather than protecting nature and our natural assets. Although we are now to get