AMERICAN ON SOUTH ISLAND HIGH LANDS

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30769, 5 June 1965, Page 9

AMERICAN ON SOUTH ISLAND HIGH LANDS

“The consensus of land - use specialists, from both within and outside New Zealand, is that much of the South Island highcountry problem-area lands should be retired from any intensive use,” says Dr. R. E. Dils, professor of watershed management at Colorado State University, in his report to the Tussock Grasslands and Mountain Lands Institute at the end of a 10-months investigation of soil erosion and soil conservation problems in New Zealand as a Fulbright research scholar.

“This involves virtually all the high country which would ordinarily be classified as Class VIII land, as well as Class VII land which is already severely eroded or on the move. The optimum use of this type of land would be for watershed protection (erosion and flood control and orderly, high-quality water production) and recreation. Within this area are pockets of land that might safely be grazed; however, the intensive management and fencing or shepherding that would be necessary may render such use uneconomic. “On the more stable of the steep lands (the better Class VII lands) judicious grazing use could be continued. From the grazier’s standpoint the most important of these areas are the north facing or sunny slopes which he badly needs for winter use. Unfortunately, it is usually these same areas which are, or have been, most prone to erode —by virtue of climate, soil and vegetation development, and due to the fact that they have been commonly abused by burning and overuse. Consequently, the continued use of such land will necessarily be conditioned by expensive treatment and management, often involving oversowing and topdressing and careful control of grazing intensity and timing. Unfortunately, too, this type of land is frequently invaded by weed spe-

cies which are difficult to control. The commonly advocated ’heavy hammering’ to keep down weeds could not long be tolerated on this type of landscape. “In many cases erosion has proceeded to the point where the sunny faces should now be taken completely out of production—or at least spelled until recovery. To do this will require the cultivation of lower land to produce winter feed—an added cost in run economics, or a reduction in flock size—which may reduce the runholder’s net income. “Since the control of erosion and floods, as well as the preservation of public resources, are decidedly in the national interest, some form of cost sharing or subsidy is warranted to aid in land-use and run readjustments. In extreme cases, and recommended only as a last resort, it may be in the public interest to purchase the leases, or even stations, in order to make necessary land-use adjustments. “In many cases it is felt that production loss to the runholder and certainly to the public, can more than be made up by more intensive deve’opment and management of the more gentle slopes, fans and intermontane valleys. More intensive management will include additional paddock subdivision, fencing and paddock improvement (oversowing) and fertilising (topdressing), increasing use of cattle in preference to sheep and the cultivation of winter feed—practices now very effectively employed on many plains and foothill runs. . . .”