Tasmanian police are monitoring a remote southern forest where a farmer has set up camp under a long running tree-sit protest by an anti-logging activist.
Police were called to the remote Tyenna Valley last night after farmer Michael Hirst set up his own protest at the tree which has been home to Miranda Gibson since December.
Mr Hirst represents a pro-logging group called "Give it Back".
He says members will take turns camping at the base of Ms Gibson's tree to voice their side of the forest debate.
"We're simply here to get another side of the story across to the public," he said.
"Certainly if she wants to stay up there for years on end, it certainly doesn't affect us and it wouldn't worry us one little bit.
"We're here to fight for Tasmania's resources, the right for people to live in this state."
Ms Gibson says as long as her supporters can work safely, she is not troubled by Mr Hirst's presence.
"I'm a 100 per cent committed to staying in this tree and continuing to speak up on behalf of these forests," she said.
Police have warned both protesters against escalating the situation.
"They just requested that I behave in a proper manner, which is precisely what I want to do and act as simply as a benign protester, if you like," Mr Hirst said.
Tasmania's Greens leader is worried any escalation in the two protests could derail the forest peace talks as they enter their final days.
Nick McKim says the forest negotiations are at a delicate stage.
"Everyone has a right to peaceful protest no matter what their cause but we are concerned that this situation may escalate and we are calling for calm heads and cool heads to prevail," he said.
"We're hoping that other community leaders and political leaders will echo that call."
Former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown says he hopes Mr Hirst will learn to appreciate the forest during his camp out.
"Good on Michael for having a different point of view and being prepared to camp out there, even if only for a few days," he said.
Miranda Gibson blogs from the treetops. Picture: ALAN LESHEIM
IF SITTING in a tree was an Olympic sport, Miranda Gibson would be a national champion.
Today marks six months (or 183 days) since the Hobart resident climbed a towering eucalyptus tree in Tyenna Valley near Maydena in the state's South.
Perched 60 metres above the ground on a platform built around the trunk, Ms Gibson has spent more time tree-sitting than anyone else in Tasmania.
If the 30-year-old is still there on July 10 she will break a national tree-sitting record of 208 days set by Manfred Stephens at the 1995 Skyrail protests near Cairns.
That said, The Observer Tree protest is not viewed as sport by anyone involved in the state's bitter forest conflict.
To some, Ms Gibson is a hero for her determined stand against continued logging in an area marked for interim protection under the $276 million state-federal forests deal.
Yet to others she is the ultimate villain; ``an eco-terrorist'' outside of the forest peace talks who won't be satisfied until Tasmania's forestry industry is wiped out.
Only a week remains for a deal to be struck from those talks between industry and green groups in time for detailed legislation to be tabled in State Parliament.
Legislation must be tabled by June 30 under the terms of the intergovernmental agreement, and the last session in which to do that is on June 21.
Ms Gibson said yesterday she was hopeful a deal would be struck soon so she could return to the ground.
``I'm waiting to see, and then I'll make an assessment,'' she said.
``Obviously, people aren't going to be protesting if there is nothing to protest about, so if the outcome is really positive in terms of achieving all the things that are needed for conservation in Tasmanian then perhaps there won't be a need to protest.''
Under the intergovernmental agreement that was signed in August last year, 572,000 hectares claimed by the environment movement as being of high conservation value was on the table - alongside wood supplies the industry claims are required to continue operating.
However, even if Ms Gibson is happy with the eventual compromise struck she is still likely to celebrate her July 8 birthday up the tree, as any agreement must then be ratified in the form of new national parks by both houses of Parliament.
For now, Ms Gibson appears determined to keep blogging, Skyping and emailing the world: ``Because every day that I'm here reminds people of another day the forests are still under threat.''
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