POLICE and protestors clashed in Warrup forest yesterday after bulldozers moved into Warrup for the Forest Product Commission's (FPC) harvesting and logging schedule.
A call out for a blockade went out on Sunday evening and was answered by about a dozen people from Bridgetown group Warrup Forest Friends (WFF) and Busselton Friends of the Forest (BFF), as well as popular children's writer and social commentator Lesley Dewar, who said she was outraged by the bulldozers in Warrup.
"They've come in with bulldozers and we're blockading them," Ms Dewar said.
“They have been marking the big tall trees for logging.”
Forest Rescue Australia (FRA) convenor Simon Peterffy arrived early Monday morning with several FRA campaigners to reinforce the blockade.
On Monday morning police arrived at Warrup, met the protestors and asked them to move on to allow the FPC contracted workers to do their job.
The Donnybrook-Bridgetown Mail spoke to Lesley Dewar and Simon Peterffy after they were spoken to by police.
"We are not going," Mr Peterffy said.
“This is the largest intact colony of numbats in WA.
“We are blockading the bulldozers.
“We will protect the forest, the colony of numbats, we have to.
“We have techniques, such as our 'Dragon' method, to blockade the passage of bulldozers.”
HRA co-ordinator Natalie Flower said more people would reach Bridgetown and then Warrup on Tuesday morning.
"Warrup is environmentally sensitive and it is an outrage they are commencing logging," Ms Dewar said.
“I cannot get to see Bill Marmion in his office, because he has decided to be out of town during this most critical time when logging is commencing after the worst bush fires in years
"I am in the forest standing up to the bulldozers, doing what (Mr Marmion) should be doing as the Minister for the Environment, protecting our unique native animals and birds.
"When the urgent call for campers went out for us to turn up to Warrup, I had to answer the call.
“The Forest Alliance needs all hands on deck.”
Ms Flower said once the trees were gone and once the colony of numbats was impacted upon, they would be gone for good.
“We have to put our bodies on the line,” Ms Flower said.
“If we get arrested for doing a good thing it's not us who are the criminals.
“Think about it. Hopefully the good people of Bridgetown who live by these forests can come out in big numbers and help stop the bulldozers.”
Mr Peterffy said the FPC and the minister should be pursued with questions on why they were doing this to the biggest colony of numbats.
“Why the senseless logging?" Mr Peterffy said.