Plea to save beech stands

Press, 28 November 1977, Page 3

Plea to save beech stands

From front page While problems of sawlog supply are featured prominently in the beech forest report, the council has made specific mention of environmental considerations.

Most of the proposed sawlog production in the Jaakko Poyry report are virgin beech-podocarp and beech forests of the Inangahua, Upper Buller, Maruia and Grey Valleys — where recreational and amenity values are high.

Before any of this is logged the council wants, a sieve planning exercise to safeguard senic, recreational and historic areas, with particular emphasis on the finger valleys of the Victoria and Brunner ranges, and the scenery of the Upper Grev and Maruia catchments.

It said it had been impressed by the steady progress made by Forest Service officers in identifying recreational, visual and historic resources of the beech forests, in particular, the historical resource of the

Reefton district ■— “a remarkable national asset.” Other outstanding recreational features in the northern forests are the beech-

podocarp forests of the Charlestown Punakakaiki limestone country, some of which is under investigation for its national park potential; the wilderness qualities of the Paparoa Range: the Karamea forests close to the ends of the Wangapeka and Heaphy tracks; the peaks, forests and valleys of the Victoria and Brunner ranges; and the pure beech forests of the Maruia, Upper Buller and Upper Grey. The council recommends an examination of creating a State forest park covering the beech forests of the Maruia and Matakitaki valleys, and extending the Lake Sumner State Forest Park across the main divide to include the Montane valleys of the Clea, Robinson, Wafheke, Trent, and Haupiri rivers. Turning southwards, the council says that lowland forest should be added to the Westland National Park. It supports the recommend-

!- ation of the South Westland land use study that part of [' Waikukupa State Forest, bei. tween Omoera Bluff and Gil-

lespie’s Beach, be given National Park status; that reserves be made in the Ohinemaka and Burmeister regions; and that the present State Forest between Bruce Bav and Haast be given State Forest Park status. “Our approach to the complex problems of the Westland indigenous forests is essentially a middle of the road one,” said Professor P. J. McKelvey, the councils’ chairman. “We believe that there is a way to satisfy all reasonable demands, commercial and non-commercial. Several factors are of “critical importance.” Industrial wood from the regenerated beech-podocarp stands would have to be chipped and exported through Richmond; a net loss of about S23M would occur over a twenty-year period, and this would need to be met by Government. (This could be avoided to the extent that the industrial wood could be used for energy production at Reefton.); unalienated Crown land forest resources must be considered as part of the available timber. The council supports the current policy of no afforestation south of the Waitaha River. However, exotic afforestation programmes will be necessary in the northern subregions. Exotic planting in Buller and Inangahua should be undertaken only [to the degree necessary to maintain mills at present levels. In North Westland, exotic planting could be on a scale in excess of that required to meet the current requirements, because of its proximity to the Canterbury markets. Where other land is not available, some cutover indigenous forest may be required for conversion to exotic forest but the

council is confident that this can be provided in conformity with the new indigenous forest policy.