BUSH DESTROYED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 84, 8 April 1936, Page 10

BUSH DESTROYED

DEPREDATIONS BY DEER If, as is claimed by officials of the Hawke’s Bay Acclimatisation Society, the deer menace in the central and southern portions of the province is not sufficiently grave to warrant the extension to the areas concerned of the drastic campaign of destruction referred to by the Minis’ter of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, last week, the position in the northern areas—and more particularly in the vicinity of Lake Waikaremoana —bears a vastly different comiplexion, says the Poverty Bay Herald. Mr W. Harvey, of Napier, who has just returned from a tour during which he traversed the Waikaremoan district, found in the locality marked evidence of the destructive habits of these animals insofar as native bush is concerned. The spoliation. Mr Harvey stated, was to be seen over wide areas adjacent to the lakeside, where not

only had the undergrowth been destroyed, but in addition many trees had been barked, with the result that they had eventually died and now •constituted a definite menace from fire. ”The lake at present is about 14ft. higher than it has been for a great many years.” said Mr Harvey. Formerly, areas of grass were to be found near the beaches which dot the lakeside, and from those areas the deer derived much of their food. However, the grass had been mibmerged bv the rise in the lake level, and the deer, in consequence. have been creating greater havoc among the ferns and native flora than previously. ” Efforts have been made to cope with the problem find parties have actually been sent out to shoot doer.” Mr Ilarvev went on. <f but it is very evident that unless some concerted action is taken by the Government the whole of the na.tive bush in that locality will sooner or Inter be destroyed.” It. was a definite menace, and the nee.esisity for concerted action could not be too strongly urged, Mr Harvey added.