AUSTRALIAN Greens leader Bob Brown faces the prospect of losing his Senate seat if he is unable to raise almost $240,000 in courts costs by the end of the month.
In December 2006, the Federal Court found in favour of Senator Brown's claim that Frestry Tasmania's logging in the Wielangta Forest, on the East coast, threatened endangered species.
However, that decision was overturned and Senator Brown was ordered to pay the costs for Forestry Tasmania.
In a letter dated May 29, Senator Brown was ordered to pay the amount by June 29.
The clerk of the Senate, Harry Evans, advised Senator Brown that he would be disqualified from the Senate and his seat would become vacant if he does not pay the money and is declared bankrupt.
Forestry Tasmania has denied that it is targeting Senator Brown.
Acting managing director Hans Drielsma said Forestry Tasmania had followed legal process and had not made any special allowances for Senator Brown.
"We believe we have provided Senator Brown with ample time and opportunity to settle this matter," he said.
Mr Drielsma also said that the amount was determined by the Registrar of the Federal Court.
But Senator Brown has accused Forestry Tasmania of what he labelled pressure tactics.
"It's very clear that this is a pressure game by Forestry Tasmania, no doubt with political backing, to threaten my seat in the Senate," he said.
"I am not going to back off from defending Tasmania's magnificent wild forests and their wildlife - not now, not ever."
He also said that if he was unable to pay on time, was declared bankrupt and then lost his seat, it would go "against the democratic wishes of Tasmanians who want their forests represented in the way they are in the Senate".
Senator Brown said he did not have the money available and that he had already spent a significant amount on the case.
He said he launched the action independently of the Greens and would not be dipping into the party's campaign reserves to make up the shortfall.
"The public has been extraordinarily generous in supporting that court case to the effect of more than $600,000 over the four years," he said.
"I'll be sending out another and final appeal note but the deadline's just a couple of weeks away and I'll be looking at other ways of funding."
Senator Brown said he would consider taking out a loan and selling items such as artwork.
"I've got no worries about selling more of it but the problem here is the time line," he said.
Wilderness Society spokesman Paul Oosting said the society would be unlikely to help Senator Brown raise the money, but he said it was "inappropriate" for Forestry Tasmania to seek the costs.
"The case exposed - and the judge agreed in the first instance - that logging was driving species closer to extinction," he said.
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