Page 9 Advertisements Column 1

Press, 5 July 1977, Page 9

257.000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MISLED. HERE ARE SOME OTHER IMPORTANT FACTS THEY SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED ABOUT THE WESTLAND CRISIS. A Kmazmg is the number of New Zealanders, OLD FORESTS ARE NOT ALWAYS HEALTHY Neither are we advocating unreasonable including West Coasters, who have supported FORESTS. acceleration of the economic growth of our the Maruia Declaration petition on indigenous* One of the first things you should know is that industry. We like the slow pace of life that we forests without making themselves aware of all some forest areas are dying or not regenerating lead. It helps retain our sanity. the facts. / well. These areas are not extensive, we grant All we ask is that urgent attention be given by However well-meaning these people may be, you, but they do exist, they do not look Forest Service, Government, and action they have not bothered to inform themselves of particularly attractive, and they could be put to groups, t to preparing a “far-sighted” West the implications of this petition. They have not better use. Coast Future plan: a plan based on the real bothered to consider the effects on the region's If we were allowed, for example, to clear-fell needs (not wants) of people, so that we can forest industry, and the economic well-being of these areas we could (a) probably extract (save) continue to make our contribution to the those who stand to lose the most! some valuable timber, and (b) put the land to well-being of the country. People are, after all, How many of these people bothered to find better use by planting exotic trees. no less important than trees. ’ out how much of the remaining forest is You know the old saying: waste not, want not. What we need can be attained. It will mean non-commercial protection forest which will not SIX FORESTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE. degrees of compromise. Here,on a positive note, be logged or cleared? Beautiful they are, but did you know that most are 4 points that, if accepted, will be of lasting How many of them stopped to wonder if we of our indigenous forests are at least 300 years benefit to most New Zealanders, already have, in the Westland region, sufficient O ld (each cycle). When old trees die, fall and rot 1 • Develop a total regional plan and, if it is ever numbers of National Parks and Reserves? away, it takes the new trees developing on the necessary to alter such a plan, only to do so How many of them stopped to think about forest floor a further 200-300 years to repeat the after thorough investigation of the effect of the how important the forestry industry is to the cycle. And they will so long as the climate change, on the region and the people of the Westland region in terms of jobs, dependent remains kind, and so long as the water table is region, families, social services etc? not drastically changed, and so long as 2. A Beech Scheme is now essential if the Did any of them ever think that there might not oppossums and deer (to name just 2 problems) region is to survive. A modest scheme with be enough pine forest on the Coast to sustain are kept at bay. planned future expansion must proceed with our industry in the immediate future? However, on an area of land that hosts urgency — we must have access to the Did any of them stop to wonder if it is so indigenous forest we could also, for arguments podocarps in Beech forest areas to help sustain wrong to change some indigenous forest areas sake, grow over the next 300 years, 6 pine the industry at it’s present level, into farm pasture or plantations for pine trees? forests. ’3. Present exotic stands should be considered These are just a few of the questions these r i tor before maturity if necessary, perhaps people should have found answers to. ! II H M B even at year 20, to help sustain the industry. + As the New Zealand Institute of Foresters „ ;5 B|MH s9| ■ Maximum use of exotics should be made in Westland Council put it: iSE B long-term sales. BIHHI 8 4 - Areas suitable for conversion to farmland or ’ ! irresponsible for any pe °^ OS ’9 I ? HMIHMK | exotics should be clear-felled in preference to such a petition unless that person knows the MH WW se | ec tive togging much larger areas, facts... not just a few details selected by the sfr-gS wD*>"* person advocating that the petition be signed." j j'Sg- J. . Or, as ‘Westlander’ wrote to the Greymouth fs ? Illi!" 1 |H|BSSS COUNTRY POPULATION CENTRE Evening Star (Monday, June 20,1977): “bimu beech pine ■MHEMHM ■ ~ “The major fact is that we have, once again, a rears lourow 20,1 i i h t °.T few outsiders with no heritage or stake in this Because aood nine arows so much faster - province dictating our livelihood to us .. . t ha) Not onTy could we .....i., ~ Conservationists are attempting to stop the grow more forests: we could also grow more teu tT one cutting of native forests, and within one year „ trees Rirnu in it > s native state averages about 30 25% — ‘ VA =y want only one mill to remain in native timber. usable trees to the acre; Beech even less at 12. awacenttowns "St But with pine we can average 250 to every acre. — T “ SbvX Think about it. Acc^r s ——J —- And remember, after clear-felling, burning off , mgetc M FOUNDRIE'S* I * FISHING-MINWG ETC SPECIALIST ccnvifiNft I ~ and re-planting on Westland, it takes only 2-5 —* x™ v[RV5 ’- -—f A , R SL s years to heal the scars. Decide for yourself if the I 1 RA PORTS YS I M so-called devastation the action groups are so —. -*-J 5S vocal about is a blight or a blessing in disguise. Of the 34,000 people who live on the Coast, | 1 — nearly 25 percent work for our major industry — — forestry. Because the Westland climate is very And that’s about it. We rest our case by beneficial to plant growth we have large areas o reminding you that the area of forest we need indigenous bush from which we select the logs access to is a very small portion indeed of the that our respective companies and thousands 0' total amount of native forest on Westland. other New Zealanders need daily. We’re prepared to help improve the current These areas are logged under strict Forest situation. Service supervision. We have also large areas c We only hope, now that you know more about man-made exotic* forests, although much of how we feel, that you’ll offer us some these will not be ready for logging until the understanding, and some support. 1990’s — when they will be needed! Because we care a lot more for forests, and If we are allowed to log more effectivelyf the people, than you think. land carrying merchantable native forest—there _ . , . j 4 a —.. .u:_u ’lndigenous and exotie. lr>dir;ereus~occurHhsori‘vitisraturattyinansrea:r,i>tintreclue»</. va > a nr-aifr aarAnwi aae am ar- a.ar- 3t leSSt 1 1 4,490 hCCtareS WIHCI! TepreSeOtS Exofc-from anodier part ohneworM: not indgenovs.-tora/gn. OUR TALENTS AREN T WORTH MUCH WE « . a • X _a_ *u_ ißi‘“effective!y"wemean. for ensmpie. that wa should b» using th»’Clear fenng 1 method more eftan. In sem» a..w> aaAte- wiar-aa Only 8.2 PCT CCUt Of iodiOeUOUS forests in the e<eas..'naniscurwtpract ; CAN T USE THEM. Westland Conservancy - well and good. ”... The point is this, we know that most New Our industry might just sustain itselt until the -.vL.-u.w—*. ... . Zealanders don’t give us much thought from first exotics are ready . « ■ day to day. But there is a crisis developing in But jf the unreasonable demands of the Westland that, if not solved sensibly very soon. varjous pressure groups £ (however will have damaging economic and social well-intentioned) are acted upon large numbers ~ repercussions. We know that we Coasters of people will be out of work. Th* WftttCOflSt SOWIM STS. arent really a race apart evenifwesome imes And the rest of the country will feel the IH * UWUaI WWWIHIIIWI®* call the rest Of you outsiders .We know that crunch If y° u would like to know more about anything related to the 'problem' 1 , write to us. everything is connected in one way or another. ’ w^t^©astsawmi«ers Association, But we do not want to be disconnected. Whatever you do, do not misunderstand us. Greymouth 5 Our future is at stake, we stand to lose a lot, We are not the butchersof wood that you may n P ’e 3S e send me further imermaton. □ rdbketooftermyadvfceand/or and not just in economic terms if the proposed believe or have been told. Come and see for new reserves (37,750 hectares of them!) are yourself. Good forest management is our Nam®’. added to what we already have. If this happens business; we’ve been working at it, and learning Address there will not be sufficient merchantable from it, for a long time. ■ indigenous timber available to sustain our And we love the beauty of Westland too much keVccs forestry industry and our community. to ever repeat the mistakes of our forefathers.. --— '