THE state government will consider an offer from environment groups to halt their anti-Ta Ann campaign in Japan - although Forestry Tasmania has dismissed the proposed one-month moratorium as unworkable.
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Markets for Change made the offer - which is conditional on logging stopping in 572,000 hectares of forests nominated for protection - yesterday, saying they were trying to give the forestry peace talks a chance.
Markets for Change has been targeting veneer producer Ta Ann's customers, angering the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania, which withdrew from negotiations in February.
Markets for Change spokeswoman Peg Putt said their ``olive branch'' would test if the association was serious about returning to the negotiating table.
FIAT chief executive Terry Edwards did not return calls yesterday.
An interim conservation agreement protects about 428,000 hectares, but Markets for Change wants a one-month halt on logging in the entire 572,000 hectares being considered for protection.
The move comes after the independent verification group confirmed the bulk of the conservation values claimed by environment groups.
``Pre-emptively destroying them is no way to conduct negotiations,'' Ms Putt said.
Forestry Tasmania managing director Bob Gordon welcomed the ``first small step'' to end the market attacks but said Forestry Tasmania had already rescheduled logging out of as many coupes within the area as possible.
``The ask has now gone from 430,000 hectares to 568,000 hectares, and it is not an ask that we can meet,'' Mr Gordon said.
Economic Development Minister David O'Byrne said the state government wanted protests in Tasmania's markets to stop.
``We've seen a press release, we need to see a more formal response from Markets for Change,'' Mr O'Byrne said.
``If it is, as it seems, a gesture of goodwill then of course we'll take that.''
``Endless protesting on the fringes of this debate does not assist in the resolution of this issue.''
The Huon Valley Environment Centre, Still Wild Still Threatened and The Last Stand have agreed to abide by the proposed moratorium, but have vowed to continue actively campaigning in Tasmania.
Ms Putt, a former Tasmanian Greens leader, said it would be absurd for environment groups to remain silent while the fate of Tasmania's forests was determined.
Liberal forestry spokesman Peter Gutwein accused the environment groups of using ``blatant standover tactics''.
``Now they've upped their claim to 572,000 hectares and made it clear that if that if those areas aren't locked up in full, the market attacks will continue,'' Mr Gutwein said.
Greens leader Nick McKim said the offer was genuine.
``This offer now places the onus on to FIAT to come back to the table and give this process a genuine go,'' Mr McKim said.
