Bush damaged near park

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33750, 24 January 1975, Page 1

Bush damaged near park

(N.Z. Press Association") ASHBURTON, January 23. Damage caused by the Army to bush in the Mount White - Poulter River area might take 70 years to recover, according to the chief ranger of the Arthur’s Pass National Park, Mr P. Croft.

More than 1100 soldiers from throughout the South Island moved into the area, which adjoins the park boundaries, early this month on battle exercises. They are due to come out on Saturday.

The park board’s view was made clear in an interview with Mr Croft, who said that the bush area in which the brigade’s maintenance area had been set up would take 70 years to recover from the treatment it had suffered.

To camouflage its presence from “enemy” air attack, the brigade had moved into a bushed area, predominately beech, and had hacked down strips of trees and bush in order to obtain access for vehicles and equipment The particular area had no aesthetic value—’’but it’s just the principle of the thing,” Mr Croft said.

■'“Animals nibble at it, the weather nibbles at it, and it

could take only one more nibble to upset die balance,” he said.

Reminded of the Army’s pledge to resow in grass any areas damaged by movement of vehicles, Mr Croft said he was sceptical that this would prove effective. “It is coming on to winter, and the frost will simply get under it and lift any new grass and the adjoining areas,” he said. “There are many other areas in the South Island just as suitable for an Army camp of this type, without coming as close as this to a national park,” Mr Croft said. “The Army says it has to cut into the bush to get good camouflage. But it is only an exer-

cise. In the final analysis, what does it really matter?” The park board, he said, acknowledged that the Army was not actually exercising in its territory, but it was the proximity that caused concern.

Another of the board’s main concerns is that the Army is operating in an area which gives access to trampers and picknickers to the park itself, and the noise level in itself was a disturbing factor. Mr Croft, however, admitted he had not heard of any complaint by park users. In fact, he said, the public seemed “pretty interested” in what the Army was doing.