DENUDED HILLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23130, 31 August 1938, Page 16

DENUDED HILLS

THREAT TO DOMINION FLOOD DAMAGE FACTOR PRODIGAL WASTE OF FOREST NEED FOR PLANTING POLICY A vigorous afforestation policy as a factor in reducing Hood damage throughout the Dominion was advocated by Mr. A. J. Wattie, of Hawko's Bay, in a paper read at the annual conference of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors last night, lie said tho loss of farming land through erosion was also a national problem of great moment.

Mr. Wattie stated that, with the advent of the pakeha in New Zealand, the lot of the native forests became most unhappy, and, apart from a small portion exploited for timber, they had been ruthlessly cut down and consumed by fire. Tho outlook of sottleis lifid been entirely biassed toward increasing areas of pasturage for sheep and cattle. The waste had been prodigal because it had been forgotten that upon the presence of trees depended tho general fertility of the whole country. "Successive Governments havo been enthusiastically imbued with the idea of closer settlement, but, very wisely and fortunately, our legislators of the past did to some extent recognise the value of forest reserves," Mr. Wattie said. Largo areas of the inner mountainous country had been left for that purpose. This was valuable for water conservation reasons and for the protection of many acres of tho best farming land from silt deposits and erosion. Enormous Loads of Silt Recent flood disasters in tho Dominion bore a sorry tale of woe. Ri\ei boards had been in existence lor many years and their control schemes had undoubtedly been mainly successlul. The erection of engineering works downstream had certainly confined tho rivers in normal floods and protected dwellers on tho plains from many a disaster. However, recent experiences in Hawke's Bay had shown till at river protection schemes threatened to become less effective by reason of tho enormous loads of silt carried in the sudden floods of the present day. "So we have to look further than the stop-banks upon which we pinned our faith in the past and turn to the headwaters, where we must try to construct a storage, reservoir to retain the excess rainfall in flood times and let it off bv degrees later," Mr. Wattie said, "i'here seems to be no practical solution to the reservoir problem other than a vigorous afforestation policy. This is doubly indicated because vegetation must bo restored to hillsides in order to prevent slips." Private Landholders' Part Loss of farming land through erosion was a national problem of great moment, but private landholders could do much if they would plant steep places on their properties which were valueless for grazing, or if they permitted scrub to grow on shady hillsides. It was not unusual in these days for a man to spend most if his life on a property and never plant a tree. More likely lie cut down those established by his father. Mr. Wattio added that it was well known that the New Zealand forest had a wonderful capacity to regenerate itself if land were kept free from fire and from grazing animals. Ibis was particularly the case in the North Island. Thousands of acres around the headwaters of rivers were of little grazing value to sheep farms in which they were included, and they should definitely be allowed to revert to a natural state.