NEW FORESTS

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22459, 21 September 1944, Page 4

NEW FORESTS

EXOTIC TIMBERS j GOVERNMENT’S PLANS (By Telemph.—Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Plans for afforestation had been prepared by the State Forest Service for a number of years past and preliminary steps to accelerate the planting rate after the war were well in hand, said the Commissioner of State Forests and Minister of Rehabilitation, the Hon. C. F. Skinner, in the House of Representatives yesterday in a written reply to a question of which notice had been given by Mr A. S. Sutherland (Opposition—Hauraki). Mr Skinner said that at least ten new exotic forests would be commenced as soon as the return of personnel to civil life and the availability of plant and materials would permit. These forrests were situated as follows:

North Auckland, three areas, 36,880 acres; South Auckland, one area, 20,940 acres; Hawke’s Bay, one area, 11,307 acres;.Wairarapa, one area, 3525 acres; West Coast, two areas, 7275 acres; Otago, three areas, 23,076 acres.

“ A start has been made with the breaking in of the land for nurseries or, such of these nev areas as include suitable nursery sit js,” said the Minister. “ Afforestation as a rehabilitation project for both short and long term absorption of discharged servicemen is well in hand, and for this purpose 77,165 acres of land has been purchased, while approximately 100,000 acres is under negotiation. These additional purchases and proposed purchases will form new forests and will extend existing forests. The areas, including those already set out, are situated as follows: North Auckland, three areas, 36,880 acres: South Auckland, one area, 20,940 acres; Rotorua, two areas, 34,794 acres; Hawke’s Bay, one area, 11,307 acres; Wairarapa, one area, 3525 acres; Nelson, two areas, 17,487 acres; West Coast, two areas, 7275 acres; Canterbury, one area, 3104 acres; Otago, three areas, 28,816 acres.

“ The falling off in available areas of indigenous timber is offset by the fact that there is an area of approximately 800,000 acres of planted exotic forests. These were planted in increasing annual areas from 1900 to 1914 and from 1920 to 1932, so that the supply of exotics for the immediate future need cause no concern. An emergency expansion of timber production of both indigenous and exotic timbers is being effected with a view to increasing North Island production of building timbers from the present level of 120,000,000 board feet to 170,000,000 board feet by the end of 1945.”