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APPENDIX No. 1. Report of the Scenery Preservation Board. By section 3 of "The Scenery Preservation Amendment Act, 1906," the above Board was constituted for the purpose of considering and reporting upon proposals to acquire and reserve Crown and private freehold lands for scenic, historic, and thermal purposes. The Board so constituted consists of the Surveyor-General, the General Manager of the Department of Tourist and Health Resorts, and the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the land district in which is situated the land proposed to be dealt with. Unfortunately, through the year having half expired before the enabling Act was passed by Parliament, and the recurrent absences from Wellington of the two first members of the Board through pressure of other official duties, it was found impossible to hold meetings of the Board to deal with lands in each of the ten land districts affected, but as the bulk of the proposals were in the Auckland and Wellington Districts, and were more urgent than the remaining suggestions, these were considered and reported on at the first opportunity. Meetings of the Auckland Board were held at Wellington on the 16th January, 1907, of the Wellington Board on the 25th February and 27th March, 1907, and of the Otago Board on the 21st January, 1907. Twenty recommendations regarding lands suitable for reservation were submitted to the Governor, together with a number of resolutions dealing with the North Island Main Trunk Railway line, particulars of which are found in the accompanying report on that route. When the matter of scenery preservation was first considered by the Board, it was recognised that through the efforts of the Lands and Survey Department in previous years a large number of reservations had been effected under the Land Act in various parts of the colony. These were supplemented by the labours of the Commission appointed under " The Scenery Preservation Act, 1903," who systematically inspected and reported on the scenic attractions of each district, but through lack of time being unable to deal with the whole of the colony, it now remained for the Board to complete, as far as possible, the work of their predecessors. The acquisition of Native land not being authorised by the Act at present, it is impossible to properly deal with the subject, but as it is desired to formulate a complete scheme of reservation in the different localities needing the same, several proposals of the Board include the acquisition of land from the Natives, though the recommendations cannot be given effect to until another amending Act is passed by Parliament to this end. The most important matters needing attention were thought to be: (a) The preservation of scenery around the North Island Main Trunk Railway line now in course of construction; (6) the acquisition and reservation of Native lands in the Rotorua district to preserve and develop the thermal attractions of that locality; (c) the acquisition and reservation of land on the banks of the Wanganui River from Taumarunui to Wanganui ; (d) the Marlborough Sounds; (c) the West Coast scenery; (/) other districts in the North and South Islands not yet reported on or dealt with. The first item occupied the attention of the Board most, as it was considered to be somewhat pressing, and consequently an inspection of the route was made in March, and a complete scheme drawn up and submitted for action (vide Appendix No. 2). A hasty inspection was also made of the Wanganui River, in order to ascertain whether the very exhaustive and careful proposals of the late Scenery Preservation Commissioners needed alteration in any way. The remaining items will next receive attention and consideration. At the meetings of the Board already held, several urgent matters were considered and dealt with, and in some cases have already been acted on in the way of Proclamation under the Act in the Gazette. In Schedule D will be seen particulars of (he areas recommended for reservation, and in addition a large number of suggestions were considered and found unsuitable for action. It is recognised that the preservation of the beautiful, and in some respects unparalleled, scenery of New Zealand demands careful and prompt action to secure the land most suitable for protection, and the Board will in all cases endeavour to maintain a just equilibrium between the universal desire to preserve intact as much as possible of the picturesque country frequented by tourists and other visitors and inhabitants of the colony, and the continuous and pressing need of land for settlement purposes. Fortunately, most of the land best adapted for scenic purposes is worth very little from a farmer's point of view, so that the two claims are not antagonistic in most parts of the country. It is honed during the coming year to accomplish much of the objects now occupying the attention of the Board in the direction of preserving for posterity the varied and marvellous scenic attractions of New Zealand. Thos. Humphries, Chairman Scenery Preservation Board. APPENDIX No. 2. "The Scenery Preservation Amendment Act, 1906." REPORT. To His Excellency the Right Honourable William Lea, Baron Plunket, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies. May it Please Your Excellency,— We, the members of the Scenery Preservation Board for the Land District of Wellington, appointed under the 3rd section of " The Scenery Preservation Amendment Act, 1906," have the honour to submit the accompanying report upon the scenery in the country traversed by the North Island Main Trunk Railway line between Marton and Taumarunui, having been directed to do so under section 5 of the said Act.

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