STATE FOREST SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23001, 2 October 1936, Page 7

STATE FOREST SERVICE

YEAR’S OPERATIONS REVIEWED PROGRAMME OF WORKS A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Oct. 1. A programme of forest works for the next five years is suggested in the annual report of the State Forest Service, which was presented in the House of Representatives to-day by the Commissioner of State Forests, Mr F. Langstone. The proposed programme comprises an extension of the fire-protec-tion methods, the limitation on further planting of exotics to the consolidation and blanking of the existing forests, a further experimental under-planting of indigenous cutover forests with exotics, the adoption of a working plan of management for the major kauri forests, portions of the silvei beech forests of Southland, the rimu pole-type forests of Westland, and the mixed rimu forests of the North Island, and the substitution of log sales for block sales of standing timber wherever practicable.

The activities of the service during the year ended on March 31 last are reviewed in the report. It states that, as planting operations had practically ceased in all regions except Rotorua and were being continued there only on a minor scale, the new planted area of 12,090 acres was the smallest for many years. In round figures the exotic State forests of the Dominion now aggregated 419,500 acres. The quantity of timber cut from all sources— State, Native and privately-owned land—was approximately 300,000,000 feet, an increase of 50,000.000 feet over the 1934-35 period. The proportion cut from State forests remained the same as the previous vear, 26 per cent. The exports of timber for the calendar year 1935 were the highest for nearly a decade, and totalled in round figures 39,642,000 feet, board measure, or 5,000,000 feet more than in 1934. Matai showed the greatest nroportionai increase, but as this comprised very largely 0.8. timber, which was almost unsaleable in the Dominion, the extra overseas demand was of distinct benefit to the milling industry. The timber imnorted during 1935 exceeded the 1934 imports by approximately 14.000,000 feet in volume and £165,300 in value, the figures being 31,356,000 feet valued at £394,400!