Kauri Forest Plans ’Evasive'

Northern Advocate, 7 March 1947, Page 2

Kauri Forest Plans ’Evasive'

(Special) K Alt A [A. This Day. With two dissenting votes, members of the Kaitaia branch of Federated Farmers on Wednesday expressed support to the Waipoua Forest Preservation Committee's demands for the setting aside of about 27.000 acres of this block as a reserve. There was no hope of getting the whole 39,000 acres reserved, one of 'lie branch delegates to tile last on-the-spot conference, Mr 11. H. Michie, said. Reporting on the visit Mr Michie said it was noticeable that the party had not been shown recently-worked areas of bush. His own impression was that the State Forestry Department’s plans for Waipoua were so evasive that they could not be accepted with confidence.Its intention to take out only dead and dying trees from the proposed limited reserve area was open to wide interpretation. SHOULD BE INVIOLATE instancing this Mi- Michie said that an official had pointed out a certain tree as "dying.” Left alone. Mr Michie thought, such a tree would still lie nourishing in 50 years’ time, but it had. been selected for milling. Mr Michio also considered that any reserved area should be preserved inviolate. The devastation caused would not be warranted by the removal of dead and dying timber, he said. v lle also referred to the rare bird life to be found in Waipoua, including parakeets and kakas as well as kiwis. Control of Waipoua would require to be taken from the hands of the Forestry Department if it was to be preserved as a national asset, said another branch delegate. Mr D. li. Lewis. He referred to damage to kauris from tree-climbing and “bleeding.” Forestry men gave trec-climbing exhibitions “to shotv how clever they were.” This, Mr Lewis considered, was not “clever” from the tree’s viewpoint. EFFECT ON CLIMATE Disruption of climate, despoliation and loss of topsoil through erosion, were some of the dangers of continued forest removal, said Mr C. B. Michie. It was unfortunate that those fighting for the preservation of a remnant of Northland native forest should be classed as cranks and meddlers. The only thing that could kill bush was fire, was the contention of Mr A. V/. Masters, who said that kauri seeds required light to germinate. He was speaking, he said, from his own bush experience. Urgent need of kauri for building purposes outweighed sentimental reasons for Waipoua’s preservation, said Mr T. S. Houston. Replying to this, Mr F. A. Holder stressed the need for forests to conserve rainfall. He contended that much of the Kaitaia district's dry weather had resulted from removal of heavy bush eastward of the area. A remit supporting the preservation committee's efforts will be forwarded to the Bay of Islands annual sub-pro-vincial conference of the federation.