STATE FORESTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19069, 15 January 1924, Page 8

STATE FORESTS.

PRECAUTION’S AGAINST FIRE. GUARDS CONSTANTLY EMPLOYED. Orson Oun Owv Correspondent,j AUCKLAND, January 14. It is estimated that 100,000,000 ft of timber is contained in the Waipoua State forest, through which the Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister of Public Works and Railways) and his party pushed their way on horseback. Of this quantity 60,000,000 ft is kauri, making Waipoua easily the most important kauri forest left in New Zealand. The n\hcr two largo remainisg reserves are at Putiki and Warawara. The former is reserved for the use of the Railway Department and overlooks the Waihou River, near Bangiahua. It contains 40,000,000 ft of kauri and almost as mtich of mixed timber. The. Warawara , forest lies north of Ilokianga, and contains about 25,000,000 ft of kauri with considerable quantities of mixed timbers. How these forests are to be used has not yet been determined, but a policy will probably bo defined when reports, now being prepared on the rate of growth, etc., of indigenous forests, are completed. So valuable a forest as Waipoua is not being left unguarded against, risks of fire, all precautions being taken by the Forestry Department, under whose control it comes, and two forest guards are continuously employed in patrol work. A kauri giant was discovered in Waipoua about two weeks ago. Its girth is over 40ft and its magnificent trunk rises 40ft before it is broken by the first branch, but the forest is full of wonderful kauri specimens as was abundantly illustrated to the party, the members of which urged their horses over the rude track loading through the damp colonnades. The settlers, who met the Minister at Waimnmaku, wanted the Government to construct a road through the forest. This would give them direct access to the Kaihu railway, Dargavillo, and Auckland. At present, in order to make southward, they have to proceed eastward to Knwakawa for 50 miles before they can begin to approach their objective. In reply, the Minister said that ho recognised the importance of a road, and that it was a solution for the settlors. Ho could, therefore, hold out no hope of the continuation of the railway from Donnelly’s crossing. He would confer with the Minister in charge of the Forestry Department with a view to getting the road through.