DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 58, Issue 4191, 31 May 1939, Page 4

DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS

DEPLORED BY SOCIETY. Destruction of native forest is deplored by the Forest and Bird Protection Society in the latest issue of its official magazine. “A Ministerial statement made at the bush conference in 1937 gave the area of remaining forest land, including scrub and land covered with second growth, as 20 million acres,” says ■ a leading article in the magazine. "What was meant by the term “forest lands” was not explained. A statement made in 1939, however, gives the forest area as 12,900,000 acres, but the further remark that it was not meant that all of this area was ; actually in bush, makes the whole statement valueless to anybody who desires to know the extent of the remaining real bush. “In compiling such figures Ministers and others appear prone to include all scenic reserves, national parks and forests reservations as being in forest, or mainly so. This is not the case. If an accurate survey was made, the large proportions of such reservations which are not covered with bush would astonish people. Many portions of these areas have never been bush covered and never will be. “Again the question is asked: What is the remaining area of forest covered land which is in a state approaching its natural condition? Apparently nobody knows. We suggest '■*, that a total of 3,000,000 acres is probably nearer the mark than the more optimistic statements that have been made under authority. “Even if the claim that the rem- / nant of native forest amounts to ' about 12,000,000 acres is accurate, there is the official admission that the whole of the aggregate area is not bush covered. Such a remnant is far from sufficient for the protection of agricultural and pastoral soils from disastrous erosion, due to excessive floods and for the maintenance of equable climatic conditions.

“If the top soil, which gives New Zealanders their living, is to be washed away, as the penalty for the destruction of protective forests, what is to become of all the present day laudable efforts to improve the standard of living—social security measures, extensive road making and so on? The saving of the life giving top soil is the first need, and adequate areas of native forest must be restored in places where its great water holding equipment is essential. “A step in the right direction has been taken in the appointment of a committee which is now mapping and demarcating all lands according to the purposes for which they should have been used. The next great need is to prohibit any further destruction of native bush on high country. Little or no effort is apparent in this direction, except the waging of a vigorous war against deer and other animals which ravage the native forests." Destruction of the bush in North Auckland is described in the magazine by E. T. Frost, who says he made a 1200 mile motor tour from Parenga, near Spirits Bay, down to Tauranga and back, via Puketi State Forest and Waipoura kauri forest. “Over large areas the whole country seems to be moving now that the rest covering is gone,” he says. “Roads disappear overnight. In one case I saw a whole row of piles driven alongside a road to prevent further slipping. Fences move every winter and cow sheds and wool sheds have been endangered. In one in- , stance the only road access to a settlement was wiped out and the settlers were months without road access. “This will continue for year, getting progressively worse. Yet they still are chopping down some of the last remnants of bush to get a tew acres of grass, while their earlier socalled improvements are vanishing. In a few years it will be all scrub and slips, and in many cases large areas will be abandoned. “A vigorous public and private policy of reafforestation is needed immediately to check the drift to destruction. Already in this same country there can be seen tens of thousands of acres which have reverted to scrub, and as far as one can see very little stock is being carried on these areas. | "I saw two lots of people lighting fires in prohibited areas in the Waipoua Forest. Damage running taM millions could occur if a fire got out of hand here. It may be that in the near future some check on those entering this reserve will be necessary, so that every person entering it will have to be given a pass, together with instructions about fire lighting. "The whole matter of soil conservation about which we hear so much is bound up in fire prevention, reafforestation and forest conservation. Reafforestation does not mean the planting of thousands of acres of pines. These are useful in their place but a thorough study needs to be made of local conditions where reafforestation is carried out, so that areas of berry and fruit producing trees can be planted. The lack of \ these means no birds, and no birds " mean increase of insect pests. Even in the planted areas which I noticed the scarcity of birds is very noticeable.” 1