FOREST SERVICE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20024, 4 September 1930, Page 15

FOREST SERVICE.

THE YEAR'S OPERATIONS. REPORT TO PARLIAMENT. [THE PBBBB Special Bottlc#.] WELLINGTON, September 8. The annual report of the State Forest Service was tabled in the House of Representatives to-day. Inter alia, the roport stated that the new area planted was 56,030 acres (including 30 acres of direct formation) which far exceeds the area planted in any one year by any other State in the Empire. This brings the total plantations in the settlement to 253,603 acres, which, as far as afforestation is concerned makes New Zealand the leading State of the Empire. The programme mapped out for the 1930 planting involves the afforestation of approximately 54,600 acres. The total area controlled by the State Forest Service under all headings is approximately 7,700,000 acres. At first glance this may appear a very large area indeed, but when it is observed that it comnrises less than 12 per cent, of the total superficial area of tho Dominion and that in an insular State such as New Zealand 25 per cent, under forests could not be considered too high to ensure a reasonable margin of safety, the figures can be viewed in their true perspective. It will be noticed that whilst 13,768 acres were proclaimed under the Forests Act in 1929-30, 58,967 | acres were withdrawn, making a total reduction of 45,199 acres when "com- I pared with last year. The principal areas withdrawn were in Canterbury and Westland regions and are mainly forest lands, which are not included in the Arthur Pass National Park.

In the Nelson region the reservation over h large area'of provisional State forest was cancelled and the land was included in the scenic reserve surrounding Lake Rotorua. Many areas ■were withdrawn for settlement purposes, the grand total in this connexion being 17,262 acres, of which 8377 acres were located in the Auckland and' 6886 acres in Westland regions respectively. The most notable acquisition was approximately 12,300 acres of milling bush in the Southland region.

Planting Objective Exceeded. The year's planting objective of 47,000 acres set last year was exceeded by approximately 9000 acres due to the fact that the Department was again called upon to increase its programme very considerably in order to provide employment for many who could find no other means of livelihood for several months of the year. That the service was able to respond to the call and rearrange its plans bo as to find work for approximately 1800 men at very short notice and accommodate them in the field for nearly five months speaks well for its organisation and for the willing team work and loyal co-operation of all members of the staff* The total area planted was 56,630 acres (including 30 acres of direct formation) which brings the aggregate area of State softwood plantations (in round figures) to 253,600 acres, and constitutes the largest area of Stateowned and State-planted forests in any single State in the Empire.