STATE FOREST RESERVES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22464, 27 July 1938, Page 12

STATE FOREST RESERVES

LARGE ADDITION IN THE LAST YEAR DEPARTMENT’S REPORT . TABLED [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, July 26. The protection of Crown lands - in the high country by proclaiming them permanent State fbrests is referred to in the report of the Department of Lands and Survey for the year ended March 31, 1938, which was presented in the House of Representatives today by the Minister for Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone). The report stales that during the year areas of Crown land totalling 186,763 acres were handed over to the State Forest Swvice for proclamation as permanent State forests. The great bulk of this area was high country, on which the existing bush should be preserved in the interests of the conservation of stream flow and the prevention of erosion. “Approval was also given during the year to more than 32,000 acres of provisional State forest reserves being set apart as permanent State forests,” adds the report, “and areas totalling approximately 62,000 acres were constituted as permanent reserves under the Scenery Preservation Act. Strong opposition was encountered on occasions to the proposals to withdraw certain areas from possible settlement in the future, but the department is convinced that the action taken was in the public interest. "Preliminary investigations have been made into reserving further areas of high country, with the result that certain blocks have tentatively been selected for handing over to the State Forest Service for administration as protection forests. While it is the department’s policy to arrange for the reservation of blocks of Crown land which should not be opened for settlement, it has, apart from a few bush areas purchased for scenic reserves out of the very restricted funds made available for scenic purposes, been impossible to take any action with respect to high country lands held under private ownership, which should be acquired and administered by the State. The department has no vote for the purchase of private lands for purely water conservation and protection purposes, nor any legislative authority to acquire such lands. There is, however, ample scope in Crown-owned areas for a considerable amount of action in the way of the reservation of such areas, and it may be mentioned that in the case of any high country which has been leased and which may revert to the Crown, full consideration will be given to the question of its reservation for protection purposes.” The report states that the control of the high pastoral country now in occupation had also received a good deal of attention. It appeared to be fairly evident that a great deal of indiscriminate 'burning had been going on, and that great damage was resulting from this illegal practice, and also from overstocking. The whole matter was regarded very seriously, and arrangements had been made for the department’s field inspectors to devote much more attention than had been possible during the last few years to the general supervision of Crown leaseholds. ■