Anti-logging protester arrested by Tasmanian police

ABC news are reporting that Tasmanian police have arrested one anti-logging activist during a protest.

Activists are protesting against the felling of a forest marked for protection in central Tasmania.

The group known as 'Still Wild Still Threatened' said a female activist chained herself to a gate on a forestry road at Butler's Gorge, which is part of an area nominated by the Federal Government for World Heritage listing.

The protest group's spokeswoman, Miranda Gibson says 11 police officers turned up at 3pm.

"So far they have removed the person from the front gate who has been arrested and search and rescue are currently attempting to remove a tree sitter as well," she said.

It's understood the tree sitter is by the side of the road, attached to a structure that is blocking the road to halt the logging.

However, a spokeswoman fro the Tasmanian police could not confirm whether anyone's been arrested.

Ms Gibson said the protesters were trying to catch the attention of Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke. They held a banner saying 'Tony Burke you nominated these forests, now protect it'.

Gibsons has been staging a tree sit-in at Tyenna since December 2011.

Minister Burke says he is not in a position to intervene.

"I can intervene when an area is a World Heritage Area and I've put forward those forests to the World Heritage Committee," he said.

"The World Heritage Committee will meet later this year and if they put it on the World Heritage list at that point it becomes a World Heritage Area.

"Up until that point there's not a Federal power to intervene."

The Tasmanian Government says existing harvesting operations are being performed in a small number of coupes in the area nominated for protection. 

A spokesman said that the operations were going ahead to meet contractual wood supply requirements until logging schedules can be re-directed to alternative areas.

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