RARE PLANTS IN DANGER

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 69, 23 March 1938, Page 13

RARE PLANTS IN DANGER

PROTEST AGAINST MILLING

The "Evening Post's" Wanganui correspondent reported in Saturday's issue that great concern is felt in Wanganui over the proposed milling of bush on an 1800-acre education reserve at Waitotara—land valuable for water conservation, useless for pasture, and certain to become an area of noxious weeds when denuded of bush; The New Zealand Native Plant Preservation Society backs up this protest, and announces that the bush contains rare forms of indigenous species. The society has written as follows to the Hon. W. Parry, Minister of Internal Affairs:—"The executive and members of the Native Plant Preservation' Society desire to place on record their emphatic protest against the proposal to grant milling rights to individuals or companies to operate in virgin native bush in the Waitotara County. As is well known to botanists, this area holds a wealth of the rarest forms of New Zealand flora which, through the ravages of fire, stock, imported pests, and indiscriminate bush-felling, are fast becoming extinct. The denudation of the country concerned will be yet another addition to the list of tragedies which, through lack of foresight and understanding has, directly and indirectly, taken toll of farm lands and, as a recent tragic event has proved, of human life. Ironically enough, it is reported that the land involved is vested as an educational reserve under the control of the Education Department. Having all these facts in mind, it would appear incredible that a Government that has expressed so much concern for the conservation of the native bush, may contemplate, the granting of milling rights in the Waitotara County."