Karamea fires cause a new flare-up

Press, 6 August 1981, Page 16

Karamea fires cause a new flare-up

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

How fragile is any. goodwill over native forests. The recent dispute between the Native Forests Action Council and the Forest Service over the reported burning of forests and wildlife near Karamea shows how deep the rifts between the two bodies go. Rather than talk, attack and counter-attack continue to be the preferred method of dispute.

And how sad it is to think that the most vocal and public supporter of native forests over the last decade, the Native Forests Action Council, should be seeking to merge its identity with the much bigger and more wide-ranging Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society. Native forests need an ardent and aggressive advocate; if they lose the Action Council, then a new advocate will be needed.

Deciding what has happened at Karamea will, for everyone except those lucky enough to be able to go and see for themselves, depend upon whom the individual places more reliance — the Action Council or the' Forest Service. On the statements issued by the two bodies, the Forest Service made a weak reply to the charges. Claims that , native forest in Karamea was being clearfelled and burnt without public consultation were unfounded, the Forest Service said. Accusations that the Forest Service was using napalm to burn cutover forests were “highly emotive;' Jellied petrol was used for most controlled burns throughout the country because it was efficient, effective and safer for the people involved. It did not create a hotter fire than any other ignition material and was safer because the fire could be : lit by helicopter rather than by hand. Forest service programmes at Karamea were in line with the- West Coast forest policy

drawn up in 1978 following a public seminar and public submissions on the future of West Coast forests. The policy endorsed by the Government aimed to maintain a steady supplv of saw logs to the West Coast sawmilling industry.

In the karamea area, the present supply of native saw logs to sawmills was 7500 cubic metres a year. To address this with a continuous supply of exotic saw logs, the Forest Service had to plant 20 hectares a year in exotic forest. It aimed to establish a small exotic forest of about 600 ha producing high quality saw logs to replace the present supply of native saw’ logs. The Forest Service did not deny, however, the substance of the claims by the Action Council. All the Forest Service would say was that press reports that good quality native trees had been felled and burned were being investigated. To dismiss as “unfounded" claims that forest was being clear-felled and burnt without public consultation is to miss the point. The claim was simply that native forest was being clear-felled and burnt. Conservationists are appalled at the continued clearfelling and burning of native bush, including millable trees. Thev have been trying to stop what they call “the mass burning of native forests in the Karamea district” since 1977, without much luck. They claim both the Minister of Forests, Mr V. S. Young, and his department are. determined to press on with their “scorched earth” programme and it is only the use of napalm which has finally made . the subject, .newsworthy. - Both, sides presented detailed, arguments, which leave thos unfamiliar with the controversy floundering. Who is right and who is wrong, or are both.

partly right and partly wrong? It is hard to tell.

The Government’s indigenous forests policy said that clear felling of native forest would only be carried out where no other land was available or suitable for exotic planting, and subject to an opportunity for public comment. Public submissions on the management of the North-West Nelson Forest Park were called for last year. The submissions received were summarised and the Forest Service says it is using them as a basis for preparing the new management plan for the park.

Meanwhile the clearance for exotics goes on. The Forest Service said it was highly unlikely that any trees of saw’ log quality had been left to be burnt, as forestry officers regularly inspected the logging areas to ensure that every tree was harvested for its saw log content. Often sound-looking rimu was found to be decayed after felling, but someone seeing it after the area had been burnt would not be able to recognise this. ; The Forest Service wants to clear the native forest and the conservationists want it left. There is a clear and probably irreconcilable conflict ■of values. The emotions aroused have been heated further by . the issue of the great spotted kiwis. The Action Council says they are present in significant numbers; the Forest Service ■says it is ; not aware of any being burnt. The issue of native forests in New r Zealand will die only when there are no mor? native forests, or when no more are being milled, clear . felled, burnt, or whatever. Flare-ups will continue as long as there is an organisation like the Action Council devoted specifically to the protection of native forests.