FOREST DEPLETION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 686, 11 June 1929, Page 11

FOREST DEPLETION

PROFESSOR SHOWS NEED OF RE-GROWTH VALUE FOR EXPORT Afforestation and its prospects in New Zealand were described to the Auckland Rotary Club yesterday by Professor H. Corbin, of the University College. He said that he was satisfied that Australia would be importing Umber from New Zealand in a few years and that New Zealanders should be prepared to extend the area under growth. Private enterprise should he allowed in timber-growing. Professor Corbin, speaking on this point, mentioned that SO per cent, of Sweden’s forests had been grown by private enterprise. “New Zealand is well below the safety margin in the proportion of its forests to population,” he said. “In 1840 there were 40,000,000 acres in indigenous forests. Last year there were 12,500,000 acres—an enormous reduction. The correct proportion of forests to the population should be over 16,000,000 acres. The reduction is still going on rapidly. “Some timbered districts, if the

forests were removed, would not be valuable for agriculture. In some, there would be serious dangers of flooding. We must not let the forests slip away. It has been argued that some indigenous trees have extremely slow growth, but the value of kauris, for instance, must be remembered. "Valuation of forested areas is a question on which there have been differences of opinion. Sawmillers give fair valuations, but the future value of the land does not often concern them greatly. As a matter of fact, in forestry control, we have an ‘expected' value. The royalty basis is not wanted.”

Professor Corbin, dealing with the Farm v. Forest controversy, said that consideration of the suitability of land for forestry or agriculture was of the utmost importance. It had been said that the Forestry Department did not. consider areas under 10,000 acres, but little could be achieved with small areas. The forester wanted to keep off agricultural land, too. “After being through New Zealand, I can say that comparatively little of the land now under forests would be suitable for agriculture,” said the speaker. “In North Auckland, four per cent, of the land is under permanent forests. The two per cent, in the Waitemata County is largely due to the Auckland City Council, which made a reserve of the catchment area in the Waitakeres.

“Every real New Zealandei should advocate afforestation; there is no other country where forests eat: be established as cheaply.” The speaker said that New Zealand should prepare for exports.