“What the graziers have in common with conservation groups is our drive to save the forest around the Little Dargo River,” she said.

“The environmentalists are really intelligent, good people. I was in awe of how much they know about the lay of the land.”

The Treasure family, whose cattle graze near the areas to be logged but not usually in the forest, are also concerned logging will destroy a number of early historic mining and grazier tracks.

The forest areas scheduled for logging hold old mountain gums full of habitat hollows, said Louise Crisp, from Gippsland Environment Group.

“After the ecological catastrophe of the last summer’s bushfires, every patch of unburnt forest is more precious than ever for our remaining native animals,” Ms Crisp said.

In 2019 the Andrews government announced native forest logging would be phased out in Victoria by 2030 and the logging of old-growth forests would cease immediately.

But conservationists are concerned that much of the state’s forests, which don’t qualify as old-growth but are still mature and provide valuable habitat, could be logged in the coming decade.

Ray Anderson, Ms Treasure’s partner, said he first approached the two conservation groups – Gippsland Environment Group and Environment East Gippsland – in desperation because the family was “getting nowhere” with their concerns.

Mr Anderson made it clear they held no animosity towards forestry workers, who were simply doing their jobs. But the damage that could be done was irreparable, he said.

“I’m coming on 73, and I’ll be in front of a bulldozer if logging starts,” Mr Anderson said. “What drives someone who has never had a conviction in his life to do something like that?”

‘I’m coming on 73, and I’ll be in front of a bulldozer if logging starts.’

Cattle grazier Ray Anderson

“We know how important it is for our grandchildren – they will never see these 200-year-old trees in their lives, they’ll be gone.”

In a statement, a VicForests spokesperson said harvesting was essential to restoring wood supply to timber mills that were “significantly impacted by supply constraints during 2020”.

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The agency said it was not aware of any evidence to support allegations that its logging activities would degrade water quality or affect rivers downstream.

“Old-growth assessments are also completed at every coupe and, if identified, excluded from harvesting,” it said.

The coupes in question have not yet been scheduled for harvesting, and are yet to be surveyed.

VicForests is under pressure in the courts, facing five different crowdfunded court challenges from community environmental groups. At least 65 Victorian logging coupes are currently subject to legal challenges and cannot be logged.

A spokeswoman for Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the state’s forestry plan protects all old-growth forests in the state and sets Victoria on a course to phase out native timber harvesting by 2030.