Beech felling recommended

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 16

Beech felling recommended

fN.Z. Press Association) ( WELLINGTON, March 30. , The Government’s i scheme to use the West ’ Coast’s beech forests ! was given the go-ahead .by the Environmental 5 Council today. n The council discussed its , report, to go before a special i subcommittee of the Na- > tional Development Council 1 on Monday. The report said the Gov- • eminent should now call for proposals from industry, i which would test the econo- > mics of the project. ’ But the Environmental i Council called for some alterations to the interdepartmental committee’s report to ’the Government last month ilin support of the project. It stressed that wherever I possible only cut-over forest, I scrub and open land should (be converted to exotic forest. I Native forests which were ifelled should be re-planted in I native beech. • In addition, the Govern-; Iment should make every ef-j Ifort to buy suitable marginal I lands, reverted farmlands, jand wastelands to plant in

exotic forest to reduce the;need be “no objection to the pressure on virgin stands. I scheme on considerations of The report objected to the ■ fauna and habitat.” conclusion of the interdepart-i To lessen damage to the mental committee that there' natural habitat, the report

iasked that a scenic corridor; I be maintained from the Buller! IRiver to Greymouth and; I native bush beside streams! Ibe preserved, Linking zones! of virgin forest should be set! aside not only to serve as! !fire-breaks but to provide cor-: ) ridors for native bird-life. The report admitted that! West Coast regional develop-! ment, rather than forest utilisation, was the major motive! behind the scheme. It called, therefore, for the immediate setting up of a regional planning authority for the West Coast, to give equal emphasis to developing biotic, recreational, and social resources in the forest industry.