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Proposed New Scenic Reserves. We recommend the following to be constituted scenic reserves : — 1. The Poor Knights Islands. —These islands contain a most interesting vegetation, one beautiful shrub, at any rate, being confined to them, and they are also the home of many birds now almost extinct on the mainland. The islands are absolutely unsuitable for settlement. 2. Lake W aikaremoana. — This proposed reservation is important both from its preserving the great beauty of the scenery and its helping to conserve the water-supply of the lake. We recommend that all the land from the water to the skyline be made a scenic reserve. We also consider it very necessary that a resident caretaker be appointed, and would suggest that the keeper of the boardinghouse near the lake be offered the post at a small retaining fee. It would be well that the caretaker should have the powers of a Crown Lands Ranger. 3. Certain Lakes in the Rotorua Thermal District. —The reserves here proposed are also important for climatic purposes. We recommend that early steps be taken to acquire from the Native owners all the forested land (about 11,000 acres) bordering the Lakes Rotoiti, Rotoehu, Rotoma, Okataina, Rotokawau, Tikitapu, and Rotokakahi, and that funds for the purpose be provided by opening for settlement an area (about 11,000 acres) of forest, bush, and scenic reserves that are not required in the Rotoiti and Rotoma Survey Districts, such settlement to be preceded by the milling of the timber. The specific areas referred to above are shown on the map on file 375, Head Office, Lands Department. 4. The Wanganui River. —Your Commissioners thoroughly recognize the importance of the scenery on the banks of this famous river as a valuable asset to the Dominion. The portion between Pipiriki and the house-boat is the finest part of the river, and it is most important that the vegetation of as large an area as possible be preserved in its virgin condition. We recommend that the Government acquire for preservation all steep banks of the W'anganui River not already reserved, and where the land is not suitable for settlement. The reservation to be from the water to the skyline. 5. The Mokau River. —The scenery of the Mokau River is very fine indeed, and it is imperative that as much as possible of the characteristic vegetation of its banks be reserved. We therefore recommend as follows : That the Government should acquire for preservation of the forest all the steep lands bordering on the Mokau River, and that the block of Crown land in Blocks V, IX, and XIII, Aria Survey District, be exchanged on an equitable basis for the land acquired along the river. The Waipoua Kauri Forest. The matter of milling the timber of the Waipoua Kauri Forest so that the land it occupies may be available for settlement has been specially brought before us. In order to ascertain the facts of the case, we took evidence in Dargaville from both those who wished and those who opposed the lifting of the reservation. W T e also visited the forest, devoting the greater part of two days to its examination. After carefully weighing the evidence on both sides of the question, and taking into consideration our own observations made during our present visit to the forest and previously, we recommend that the reservation on the Waipoua State Forest be removed subject to the following contions : (1.) That the timber be milled by the Crown for the people of New Zealand. (2.) That 200 acres of the most characteristic and healthy parts of the forest be reserved permanently. (3.) That the Warawara State Kauri Forest be also reserved permanently. (4.) That both the reserve of 200 acres of the Waipoua Kauri Forest and the whole of the Warawara Kauri Forest be established as national kauri parks for the benefit of the people of New Zealand by Act of Parliament. Our reason for the above decisions are as follows : (1.) The area of the forest is altogether too large for a permanent reserve. (2.) If the whole forest

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