Conservation

Press, 13 September 1983, Page 16

Conservation

Sir,—Your correspondent, Dudley Franklin, said that the Victoria State Forest Park Advisory Committee “were given*an excellent verbal summary” of the submissions on the North Westland Management Plan, as well as “having considered all relevant information,” which led to their decision to zone the major portion of the west bank of the Maruia for logging. As a member of this same board, like Mr Franklin, I recall the “excellent verbal summary” as being a quick dismissal of the submissions as “being usually single letter types, semi-abusive and answering calls solicited by conservation groups.” The committee saw no submissions; received no information except verbal comments from Forest Service personnel. I do not consider ignoring the expressed wishes of over 9000 New Zealanders asking for reservation of the west bank the “wisest decision;” nor do I think that verbal communication from Forest Service personnel only can be thought of as considering “all relevant information.” —

Yours, etc., HEATHER WALLACE. September 8, 1983.

Sir,—Your correspondent, Ms Ford, shows clearly in her letter that she, like most anti-conserva-tionists, has a poor understanding of the rationale for conservation and of what conservationists are asking for in this country. We do not wish to “lock-up” all our forests and we do not ignore the social and economic consequences of our policies. In fact, if Ms Ford cared to read submissions and policy statements written by conservation organisations she would find that we place a high priority on people’s welfare. We are also not opposed to farm development, providing it does not involve the eradication of further tussock grassland types, which are ecosystems in their own right and are not necessarily wasteland, at all. It is time the human race realised that this does not exist solely

for our benefit but rather that we, as members of the biological community, should have an ethical conscience which includes consideration for other life forms. — Yours, etc.,

MARK AUSTIN. September 11, 1983.

Sir, — I remind Cath Ford (September 10) that during the Okarito forests debate a West Coaster suggested that conservationists should press for a “moun-tains-to-the-sea” national park east of the main divide. The Rakaia River Conservation Order, a comparatively modest proposal, will recognise existing legal developments. Ms Ford’s view of tussock lands as wastelands has unfortunately been shared by the farm development side of the Lands and Survey Department in spite of Government-approved guidelines for a balanced approach. As with lowland forests, the deliberate over-exploitation of a finite resource invites controversy over the future of the last examples. Fortunately, the fact that much of the remaining tussock lands are still (tenuously) in Crown ownership, and that light grazing may be permitted in some future tussock reserves, should minimise potential conflicts. — Yours, etc.,

B. A. CALDER. September 11, 1983.