MILLING OF TIMBER

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 129, 27 November 1940, Page 9

MILLING OF TIMBER

THE MAYMORN ESTATE

REPORT TO ROYAL SOCIETY

NO NEED FOR CONCERN

That there need be no undue concern about the present cutting of timber on the Maymorn Estate in the Akatarawas, oia the grounds either that such milling will accelerate erosion and cause flooding in the low country, or that scenic assets are beiflg destroyed, is the considered opinion of the Wellington branch of the Royal Society.

The matter was brought yip at a council meeting some time ago and it was then decided to appoint an expert committee *o investigate the question thoroughly. This the committee has done, and its report was considered and adopted at yesterday's meeting of the council. Reporting first on the alleged danger of soil erosion and flooding, the committee's report says:— RAPID SECOND GEOWTH. "We have carefully examined the forest on the Akatarawa-Waikanae saddle and find that the contractor has taken a good deal of trouble to disturb the vegetation as little as possible. The milling timber is fairly widely spaced, and after the. hauling, out of the logs a little disturbed forest j of kamahi with some small matai, rimu, totara, miro, etc. is left. In a few years' time when the second growth has come away the cover of the ground will be complete, though it must be said that even in its present condition there is no risk whatever of soil erosion. "The manner in which forest regenerates itself can be seen in the City Council block in which milling is being carried on. To the north of the jig the timber was taken out about ten years ago, but the casual observer would say no milling had been done. Again, further up the tram the clearing along the tramline was intensive about seven years ago, but the vegetation is now a thicket of makomako and fuchsia about seven feet high. Thus, with ordinary milling itself, no danger arises of soil erosion, since the soil is but little exposed at the time and cover is complete in a few years' time. Nor is it to be expected that the run-off in the two classes of forest would be materially different. THE FIRE HAZARD.

"It has been stated that the cutting of the timber leaves much dead vegetation which may be fired accidentally, with consequent loss of the forest. The operations in the area being cut over show that with reasonable care there is no loss through fire. The contractor in Maymorn is using internal combustion engines, which lessen fire risk, and. there is also the fact that he is destroying a minimum of vegetation. "The problem becomes of a very different nature if fires are started to prepare the way for pasture establishment. It can be said that there is today no inducement to bring this class of land—of very low fertility and steep topography—into agricultural use. Lower down the valley land of similar topography but somewhat better in fertility has been cleared and is obviously farmed with great difficulty. However, despite the lack of present-day inducement to graze such country there is no guarantee that someone will not think otherwise and make the attempt. The block is freehold and consequently the owner can utilise it as he thinks fit. Every effort should be made to preserve the forest after the removal of the milling timber, not so much on account of soil erosion on the slopes, for the soil is actually holding very well on the cleared land of the Akatarawa, but to lessen the flood danger in the lowlands. This applies with much force to that part of the estate in the Hutt and Akatarawa drainage basins.

"It should be noted that we are dealing only with the removal of milling timber. If firewood were also taken, i.e., the kamahi, which is the dominant tree, our comments would be different, as there is then a definite risk of fire. THE SCENIC ASPECT. "The contractor operating on the Akatarawa-Waikanae saddle has not yet worked through a small area close to the road which contains more than ! the average number of milling trees. This is the only part which could be considered from a scenic point of view, but argument about this now seems futile, for the contractor will be cutting in this part within a week or so —long before action will be taken for purchase. Moreover, its value as a scenic asset is not of a high order, for the kamahi, the dominant tree, is over-mature.

"In the Akatarawa and neighbouring valleys there is no lack of virgin native forest, for there remain the thousands of acres in the reserves of the Wellington City Council, and it is unlikely that the bulk of May morn will be disturbed, since the topography is against milling."

During discussion on the report it was emphasised1 that, while there need be no undue concern about present milling operations, all possible steps should be taken for the preservation of the milled forest, particularly in the Hutt and Akatarawa drainage basins.