OUR OWN FIRST

Evening Post, Volume 137, Issue CXI, 10 June 1926, Page 10

OUR OWN FIRST

NATIONAL PARK POLICY

AMERICAN EXAMPLE

INTRODUCTION OF EXOTICS

BARRED.

Recently "The Post" quoted the opinions of prominent ecologists and National Park authorities, in America as opposed to tho introduction of foreign plant and animal life to areas reserved primarily for the preservation of native flora and fauna. Additional information has now been received in Wellington strongly supporting the opinions given, and having an intimate bearing upon the issues facing the Tongariro National Park Board. Writing to a friend in Wellington, Mr. Barrington Moore, editor-in-chief of the official journal of the Ecological Society of America, states:— "This question as to whether the parks should be kept inviolate as museums of the indigenous flora and fauna or whether, they should be developed primarily for recreation, is more important than any other matter of policy. The point of view of those who would introduce exotic plants and animals and derive revenue from cutting the forest, is readily understandable. We have had the same conflict in this country, and. it is only comparatively recently that it has been decided definitely in favour of keeping our National Parks inviolate as areas on which the natural flora and fauna can be found undisturbed by outside agencies. This is unquestionably the most important purpose of National Parks. There are plenty of places whore shooting and fishing can be fostered without destroying the few remaining remnants of virgin wilderness. Areas on which natural conditions have been preserved are of such value for scientific study of the relation between plants and animals and their environment that the destruction of such areas is like destroying a library of original manuscripts, or a museum with collections not duplicated elsewhere. "In Switzerland the National Parks are preserved primarily for . scientific purposes and used for recreation only very sparingly or not at all. In this country our scientists have long realised the scientific and educational value of the National Parks. Several years ago the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the largest group of scientists in the country, passed a strong set of resolutions vigorously opposing the introduction of normative plants and animals into the National Parks. Fortunately, our National Parks are large and have as yet been but little disturbed. We have always protected the parks from commercial encroachments, sometimes against strong pressure. The principal interest of the Government, however, has until recently been recreation. Last fall, to our delight, the Secretary of the Interior, charged with the administration of the National Parks, recognised the outdoor museum feature as the primary purpose of these parks.'' The question of timber-cutting in the parks is dealt with in a letter from Mr. Stephen T. Mather,, Director of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington. He writes: — "I notice the particular question on which you request information is the problem of whether or not the parks should be kept inviolate as museums of the indigenous flora and fauna or whether exotic species would be introduced. The primary purpose of our National Parks, as you will see from the organic Act creating the National Park Service, is 'to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the ..wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of tho same in such manner and by such moans as. will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.' In accordance with this Act the National Park Service does not permit tho introduction of exotic species of plants and animals, and maintains the scenery in its natural condition, permitting only such changes as must be made in providing the necessary accommodation' for visitors. "The policy governing the establishment of new National Parks provides that these areas shall be the outstanding examples of their particular kind of scenery, and it is essential that the trees in these areas belong to virgin forests. Naturally, then, we would not consider permitting any cutting of trees in the parks already existing for the purpose of obtaining revenue. Our national forests, which are administered by the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, are developed for economic purposes, and in these the cutting of timber under certain regulations is permitted."