Sinharaja 1970s plywood corporation controversy: mechanized logging halt and UNESCO heritage status?

In the early 1970s, the Sri Lankan government authorized the State Timber Corporation and Pelawatte Plywood Corporation to introduce heavy mechanical logging machinery into the pristine primary rainforest of Sinharaja to supply timber mills. Alarmed by impending ecological devastation to irreplaceable endemic flora and fauna, Sri Lankan scientists, botanists (notably Dr. Malik Fernando and Dr. Senarat Paranavitana), and environmental conservation groups launched a fierce national protest campaign. Their advocacy forced the government to halt all commercial logging operations by 1977, leading to its declaration as a Man and Biosphere (MAB) Reserve and subsequent UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.