5

C.~-3

3. Afforestation Operations in General. The year's planting objective of 47,000 acres set last year was exceeded by approximately 9,000 acres due to the fact that the Department was again called upon to increase its programme very considerably in order to provide employment for many who could find no other means of livelihood for several months of the year. That the Service was able to respond to the call and rearrange its plans so as to find work for approximately 1,800 men at very short notice and accommodate them in the field for nearly five months, speaks well for its organization and for the willing team-work and loyal co-operation of all members of the Staff. The total area planted was 56,630 acres (including 30 acres of direct formation), which brings the aggregate area of State softwood plantations (in round figures) to 253,600 acres ; and constitutes the largest area of State-owned and State-planted forests in any single State in the Empire. Pull statistics with respect to the year's plantation activities, &c., will be found in Appendix II of this report.

TABLE 3. Areas planted to Date and Areas available for Future Planting, etc.

As it was realized that an accelerated planting-programme wo -Id result in all the land available at Riverhead and Maramarua Plantations, Auckland Region, being planted up before the close of the year 1930-31 and as the area thus established would be insufficient, Ito supply the future requirements of the raj)idly expanding Auckland Province, steps were taken to a/cquire further land for afforestation activity ; this has resulted in the selection of Tairua project which comprises an area of approximately 52,000 acres of State and provisional State forest land lying along the east coast in Thames and Ohinemuri Counties on the eastern side of Coromandel Peninsula. An inspection of this block by the Auckland Advisory Committee set up in terms of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1929, confirmed the departmental opinion that the great bulk of the land couls be more economically utilized for tree-planting than for farming purposes, and action will be taken to that end. The better-quality areas will be demarcated in due course and handed over to the Lands Department for settlement purposes. On certain occasions the Service has been subjected to criticism for allegedly afforesting lands which could more profitably be used for farming, and it must be admitted that plantation units of 10,000 acres or upwards in the Dominion must sometimes ihclude within their boundaries some small areas of farming value. Wherever possible, however, such lands are excluded, the securing of boundaries which will minimize fire danger to the growing trees, being, of course, the deciding factor. A new field nursery has been established at Tairua and it is anticipated that sufficient young stock will be available to plant an area of 1,500 acres during the coming winter and to provide, in addition, five or six million seedlings for lining out in the nursery for the following year's requirements.

Balance » • . „ i»i t Approximate Q TTQ 1 I Q M|Q TAl 1 -wi Region. ■ Plantation. Area planted.* Planting, Planting including Firebreaks. Acres. Acres. Acres. Auckland .. .. Riverhead .. .. .. 8,878 1,646 1,646 Maramarua .. .. .. 5,840 6,740 6,126 Tairua .. .. .. .. 52,000 1,500 Minor areas .. .. .. 1,083 650 100 Rotorua .. .. Wliakarewarewa .. .. 7,591 82 Waiotapu .. .. .. 7,920 166 Kaingaroa .. .. .. 145,963 93,280 30,000 Wellington .. Karioi .. .. .. 9,471 6,650 2,737 Minor areas .. .. .. 671 4,938 100 Nelson .. .. Golden Downs .. .. 5,556 6,540 3,500 Minor areas .. .. .. 347 Westland .. .. Westland .. .. .. 1,688 6,072 Canterbury .. Hanmer Springs .. .. 7,680 197 197 Balmoral .. .. .. 18,671 2,007 1,906 Eyrewell .. .. .. 12,008 4,134 3,758 Minor areas .. .. .. 220 22 22 Southland.. .. Blue Mountains .. .. 8,713 Naseby .. .. .. 2,580 1,163 1,047 Greenvale, Dusky and Conical Hills 8,017 56 Minor areas .. .. .. ' '06 New scheme .. .. .. .. 6,866 2,000 Totals.. .. .. 253,603 193,127 54,629 * Includes 7,078 acres direct-seeded.