Wilderness area defined

Press, 12 July 1984, Page 5

Wilderness area defined

Nelson reporter

The advisory committee of the North West Nelson Forest Park, has agreed to boundaries for a new 92,000 ha wilderness area within the park. Also, the committee made history in deciding that the area should be gazetted rather than zoned — the first time a wilderness area is to be gazetted within state forest in New Zealand. (Zoning does not have any statutory or legal standing and the actual zoning is carried out by the Forest Service in its management plans.)

The wilderness area was proposed by the Forest Service late last year, and was released for public submissions. Of the 274 submissions received, 88 per cent favoured the establishment of a wilderness area, but only 56 of the 274 favoured the Forest Service limits. The accompanying map indicates the extent and boundaries of the new area and its. relationship to the coastline and the Heaphy Track. -?& v The eastern boundary (at

right) is the line along the inside of the shaded area, with the Roaring Lion River as the boundary. It excludes both Roaring Lion and Lonely Lake huts and all the shaded areas. The submissions were analysed and presented to the committee, and its decisions will be recommended for approval to the Minister of Lands. These will be accompanied by the Forest Service recommendations, and all will be sent to the Nelson Bays and West Coast United Councils. The meeting was held at Collingwood and discussion on the wilderness area alone occupied some five hours. There was little unanimity in most of the main decisions and the casting vote of the chairman, Mr I. A. Black, was necessary to establish the final eastern boundary. The two boundaries which drew most discussion were those south and east. There were three alternatives for the southern boundary: the Karamea River excluding Garabaldi Ridge and Silvermine Creek; Garabaldi Ridge excluding Silvermine

Creek but including the Karamea River; and the Karamea River, the ridge and the creek. During discussion it was pointed out that the Karamea River was below a main air route to the West Coast. Mr Black also explained that to obtain approval for mining, a revocation of the wilderness gazettal over the area to be mined would be required. He felt that prospecting would have minimal impact only. The committee decided on Garabaldi Ridge as the southern boundary. For the eastern boundary, it was decided to exclude all that shaded area on the map (and the small shaded area at top right). The shaded area will be zoned “remote experience,” as will be the Silvermine Creek catchment (below southern boundary). The northern boundary, as proposed by the Forest Service, was accepted without much discussion. What is a wilderness area? According to policy, “wilderness” embodies remote-

ness and discovery, challenge, solitude, freedom and romance. Land chosen to be protected through appropriate management as wilderness areas should be large enough to take at least two days foot travel to traverse; have clearly defined topographic boundaries; be adequately buffered against human influences; and not to have developments such as huts, tracks, bridges, signs or mechanised access. Restrictions on facilities, vehicles, boats and aircraft can be lifted when required for search and rescue operations, emergency flights for fire-fighting and medical reasons; the control of introduced plants and animals; and “carefully controlled, minimal impact mineral exploration and prospecting.”

Helicopter shooting and recovery of deer, as well as ground shooting is permitted in a wilderness area, but helicopters may not be used to fly in recreational hunters, anglers, trampers or anyone else.