FOREST AND BIRD

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 99, 29 April 1938, Page 5

FOREST AND BIRD

WHAT IS BEING DONE?

CONSERVATION PROBLEMS

"When the Animals Protection and Game"Act, 1921-22, was being prepared, the purpose was that if acclimatisation societies were given the right to charge fees for the shooting of native waterfowl, which was then free to all in season, such income would enable these societies to enforce the Act in respect to all native birds," says the address of the president of the Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand (Inc.) which was presented at its annual meeting last evening. "This information was given to me first hand at the time. Unfortunately, however, the Act does not appear to have stated definitely the intention. The result is that today nobody accepts the responsibility for the protection of native birds in the field. Surely this result is a reflection on those responsible for our conservation laws. "The Forest and Bird Protection Society has done everything possible I<> arouse public sympathy in the preservation of native birds, and, despite many difficulties,' the campaign has been remarkably successful. We feel, however, that, with the exception of the Department of Lands and Survey, which has set aside large areas as re- j servations, little has been done on the administrative side Nto take advantage of the. public sympathy won by the society in this national cause. "The case is much the same with native protection forests which, are being destroyed by many agencies throughout the Dominion. We are told that the controlling department has a policy, but not what that policy is/ So far, our timber supplies have come almost exclusively from native tree sources, which are now well on the way to exhaustion. Future timber supplies will have to come from limited areas of exotic plantations, mostly insignis pine, which is good enough for mine props, fruit cases, concrete boxing, and other minor uses, but few people, I think, would look upon this timber as worth while for any purpose requiring durability. Our past forest policy has proved very defective. Many people would like to learn the present policy, if there is one as is alleged. "New Zealand, however, despite the many shortcomings which call for improvement, is by no means alone in this unsatisfactory position. Canada probably has better administration of forest and wild-life matters. The United States is better in some respects and worse in others; Australia lags behind generally." In the United States of America the urge today is for a Department of Conservation whose duty would be to control all manageable natural resources. A similar Department is required in New Zealand to control any native forests which, owing to their situation should be set aside as protection forests in order to guard our agricultural lands, our native birds, game birds, and fresh water fish. Such a Department would also administer all matters connected with the management of wild-life affairs."