The Press. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1912. SCENERY PRESERVATION IN SEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14405, 12 July 1912, Page 6

The Press. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1912. SCENERY PRESERVATION IN SEW ZEALAND

The report of the Under-Secretary for Lauds ou scenery preservation in New Zealand during thu Inst twelve months shows that useful work has been done in.the direction of preserving some of tho most interesting natural features of tho country at a comparatively moderate , rost. Ninety-six separate re.serves were made, aggregating 94,000 acres, hut this included a pastoral run «>f over 40,000 acres and 29,000 acres <if hilly and mountainous Crown land in tho Westland district. One- of the most interesting features of tho year's work i« the preservation cf tho beautiful "Hongi's track.''' between lakes Uotoiti and Rotoehu, near Hotonin, which is not only, a specimen of lovely hUsh scenery but a memento of the famous raid of the Maori warrior when he descended upon tho Maoris of Rotorua, and captured their pa on Mokoi-a Island. Tho pastoral run referred to is situated in the Routebum Valley, !at the head of J*ako AVaktctipu. and was set apart so as to protect tho Alpine flora in that locality. Tho land is of comparatively little value from a settlement point of view, and comprises a number of peaks ranging from 3000 foet to nearly 6000 feet in height, whilst the beautiful lakes "Wilson and Harr ; s are included in tho area. In too many instances in tho past has land rich in scenery but poor in productive value been cleared for settlement. Not only has the natural beauty of the country been destroyed, but the destruction of tho bash has prejudicially affected tho climate. Wo hope, therefore, that the ffovernment in futuro will pause before deciding to destroy that which can never bo replaced, getting in return only the most mengre results in tho

J shape of Crown rentals. Wβ are told jto noto that reserves have been rendu j along the banks of tho W-anganui and Mokau rivers. Tho characteristic ' .scenery of the former is fast disappearing, and the reservations arc not being made a day too soon. In tho case of the Mokau, action has been taken in good time- It is gratifying to see that during the year two generous donations cf land were made by private individuals on condition that the areas should bo reserved under tho Sooncry Preservation Act. Mrs Sara Goodwin Seymour, of Picton, conveyed to the Crown the picturesque Ngakuta Point jin Queen Charlotte Sound, tho cite of ■an old burying-place of the natives. In our own district tho Messrs* Morten. Hro=. have given five areas, totalling sixty-one acres, situated on the Summit road, which- have been placed under the administration of tho Scenic Board which looks after tho Kennedy's Bush reserve. While it is well, however, to acquire reserves and to set them apart for scenic purposes by proclamation, something more must bo done if they are to be preserved in fact as well as in name. This truth is clearly brought out in tho interesting report of tho Inspector of Scenic Reserves, Mr T.. Phillips Turner, which is appended to tho main report. Ho emphasises tho necessity of fencing tho most important reserves, such as those along the Wanganui river and Main Trunk railway. At present some of tho reserves, through not being fenced, becomo cheap grazing resorts for settlers' stock. AH tho leading authorities show how forest may bo gradually destroyed by tho invasion of stock. This is especially tho case with Now Zealand bush. The trees aro sur-face-rooting, and in the natural state. aro protected by a dense growth of shrubs, ferns, mosses, etc. If this undergrowth is eaten off by stock, Mr Turner points out, tho conditions to which tho trees have been accustomed for ages are altered. Cold or hot winds rush through the forest, the rootlets are broken, tho ground is so hardened by trampling that roots are exposed, and tho root fibres cannot perform their functions, and tho ground in summer does not retain tho moisture which tho .former conditions enabled it to do. The trees gradually sicken and die, and as tho stock havo eaten off all tho seedling trees that would naturally have replaced tho others, tho end of tho forest is sealed. Moreover, after the undergrowth is destroyed the forest in summer becomes very dry, and fire is more likely to spread. Apropos of this danger Mr Turner mentions that in one province of tho Dominion of Canada there aro in summer over eight hundred fire rangers employed, as tho Canadians realise that the only way to secure their •valuable forest reserves is to havo men out in the field to prevent the occurrence of fires or to extinguish them at tho beginning. It will bo seen, therefore, that if bur preservation of scenery is to b? a real things and not merely a sham, constant supervision and a regular annual expenditure will be required. So long, however, as the efforts of tho Department are well directed, as on the whole they appear to bo at present, wo do not think the public will grudge a ,moderate outlay for such an admirable purpose.