DANGER TO FORESTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16425, 8 May 1924, Page 9

DANGER TO FORESTS.

MENACE OF ANIMALS

"A fire in our forests means no native forest; animals in our forests means no native forest; no native birds means no native forest." This was the foresters' triple rule as given by Captain E. V. Sanderson at a meeting of the Wellington branch of the Forestry League last week.

The main reason for the maintenance of Dominion forests, it was urged, was conservation of rainfall. It was not to provide timber for sawmills.

The president, Sir D. R, Hoggard, agreed: that protection forests were more important than commercial forests. These would not continue if the native birds were to die out. At present they were in clanger from animals, particularly deer, but this could be overcome by allowing sportsmen more effective access to forests. If birds were allowed, to die out they would have to take steps to amplify the forests, and these would be expensive. At present the animal menace could bo met by the Government making tracks into forests for sportsmen. He hoped that co-operation and eventual amalgamation with bird societies would come about.