STATE FORESTRY

Otago Witness, Issue 3419, 26 September 1919, Page 41

STATE FORESTRY

THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY.

The Minister of Finance referred in the Budget on the 23rd to the fact that the State forests had been placed under the control of a separate Minister. He went on to eay: By section 34 of the Wax Legislation and Statute Law Amendment Act, 1918, statutory authority was granted for: (1) Sawmilling and the purchase or hire of sawmills by the Government; (2) the State to purchase private lands for forestry purposes; (3) the setting-apart of Crown lands as provisional State forests; (4) taking lands for forestry purposes under the Public Works Act; (5) limiting or prohibiting the export of timber from New Zealand; and (6) prohibiting the sale of or the granting of licenses to out or sell standing timber on public or private lands except/ subject to conditions to be prescribed. An area of about 1,800,000 acres has since been proclaimed State forests under that authority. Additional areas will be proclaimed as- soon as the necessary maps are completed. It must be understood that the setting aside of provisional State forests is not a final reservation. As soon as the necessary arrangements can be made the reserves will be inspected, and such lands as are found to be more suitable for settlement than for retention under forest will be made available for settlement. The total area of State forests and provisional State forests is now about 3,273,000 acres, but of this area a large proportion does not bear timber of milling value, and a proportion is treeless mountain land. Taking a mean between the proportion of the forest areas of France and Germany, this dominion should have an area of 13,300,000 acres under forest to satisfy present and future demands.

As the dairy, fruit, and other industries which use a large quantity of white pine were rinding it impossible to obtain adequate supplies, measures were taken through the Board of Trade to limit the export of this timber to_ 40 per cent, of the total production. This has met with strong opposition from localities where a large export trade has been worked up, but, on the other hand, the users of white pine in New Zealand have made strong representations that its export should be entirely stopped. Regulations have also been gazetted limiting the quantities of other timbers which may bo> exported from New Zealand during the present year, and sawmillers have been notified that the quantities exportable will be further reduced year by year. In the plantations a total new area of 2800 acres was afforested, about one-third of the area having been planted by discharged soldiers. Arrangements are being made to employ a larcrcr number of soldiers. but difficulty is experienced in providing both accommodation and trained supervisors.

The Commissioner of State Forests has publicly announced that the forests of New Zfalind must be henceforth utilised for the people of New Zealand, and that consequently the export of all classes of timber must be limited at present and cease whollv in the near future: and further that on land not su ; ted for settlement onlv timber rine for milling must be cut, and the growing

timber conserved on all lands continuing as State forests. Against the policy so deolared there has been considerable protest from certain districts where it is contended that the export trade already established should continue and be allowed to increase in volume.