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Westland reservations during the year were those of two areas of virgin forest totalling some 450 acres situated at Weheka near the Fox Glacier. An important reservation was made in the Canterbury Land District. This was a 9,000 acre block of beech bush situated at the junctions of the Nina, Lewis, Boyle, and Doubtful Rivers. The new reserve will provide an attractive vista for travellers and tourists for a distance of some six or seven miles along the new Lewis Pass Road. It includes also the Sylvia Falls and an interesting hot spring, and will undoubtedly be a very considerable scenic attraction on the new West Coast road via Lewis Pass. In the Otago Land District the historic rock known as Te Umukuru was set aside as an historic reserve. The rock, which was formerly part of the road skirting the Otago Harbour, bears a plate commemorating the landing-place of the Weller Brothers, Whalers, in 1831, and was reserved at the request of the Otago Early Settlers' Association. A second Otago reservation was that of some 28 acres on the summit of Mount Iron behind Pembroke as an addition to the existing reserve on the mountain. Mount Iron commands a fine view of Lake Wanaka and the surrounding country, and, owing to its easy accessibility, is very popular with visiting tourists and local residents. Southland reservations were those of an area of 58 acres of good standing bush in the EdendaleMorton Mains District, and a small area at the Niagara Bridge, Waikawa River. The reservation over various areas, totalling 1,147 acres, was revoked during the year. Of this comparatively large area no less than 935 acres comprised a reserve on the Great Barrier, which was set apart in 1929 following representations made by the residents of the island. At the time of reservation the land, which, is very steep and broken country, was covered to a considerable extent with young kauri and other trees which were considered to be worthy of preservation. It was hoped that the area would eventually develop into a kauri forest. However, on a special inspection being made, it was found that the reserve had been completely swept by fire, the whole area having been fired about three years ago, and the land burnt over about every six months ever since. No definite evidence could be obtained of the origin of the fires, and in view of the state of the area and of the impossibility of exercising adequate supervision in such a remote locality, it was reluctantly decided that there was nothing to be gained by retaining the reservation. The bulk of the remainder consisted of a reserve of 160 acres on the western side of the Waiau River between Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri which was included in the Sounds National Park. Some 1,900 acres of provisional State forest and 540 acres of Crown land were dealt with at the same time, the idea being to add all the land on the western side of the Waiau in that locality to the National Park in order that it might be administered under the one form of reservation. At the close of the year the Department had in hand several important proposals for the reservation of further areas of scenic interest in various parts of the Dominion, and these will be fully dealt with in the next report. The number of scenic reservations in the Dominion is now 961, covering a total area of approximately 669,000 acres. SCENEKY PRESERVATION BOARD. Meetings of the Scenery Preservation Board were held in the office of the Surveyor-General, Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, on the 27th May, 1933 (North Auckland Land District) ; on the 28th July, 1933 (Auckland, Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Canterbury, and Southland Land Districts) ; and on the 26th September, 1933 (Nelson and Marlborough Land Districts). Sixteen recommendations were submitted by the Board to His Excellency the Governor-General for the acquisition and reservation of areas of scenic and historic interest throughout the Dominion under the provisions of the Scenery Preservation Act. Supervision oe Reserves. During the year special scenic Boards were appointed or reappointed as follow : Te Kuiti Borough Council, to control the Mangaokewa Gorge Scenic Reserve ; Matamata County Council, to control the Maungatautari Mountain Scenic Reserve ; Tauranga County Council, to control the Puketoki Scenic Reserve; Peninsula County Council, to control the Titeremoana Scenic Reserve ; the Invercargill City Council, to control the Waihopai River Scenic Reserve ; and the Haldane, Huatoki, Mangaehuehu, Matiere, Moana, Pongaroa, Summit Road, Urenui Pa, and Waima Scenic Boards, to control their respective reserves. Two Orders in Council were issued appointing gentlemen to vacancies on the Cape Kidnapper Bird Sanctuary Board and the Katikati Hot Springs Scenic Board, while two Warrants were gazetted placing additional areas under the control of the Hundalee Scenic Reserves Board and the Papatowai Scenic Board. At the request of the members thereof, the Motu • Scenic Board was relieved of its responsibilities during the year, and the control of the reserve will in future be exercised by the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Gisborne. During the year, forty-one ladies and gentlemen were appointed honorary inspectors for scenic reserves throughout the Dominion, and a certificate of appointment was issued in each case. The New Zealand Institute of Horticulture has continued to assist the Department by the nomination of suitable ladies and gentlemen who are keen to assist in the national work of scenery-preservation. General Condition op Reserves, etc. Reports from the various districts disclose in general a fairly satisfactory state of affairs so far as our scenic reserves are concerned. An unsatisfactory feature in many localities is the grazing of animals in reserves during periods of shortage of pasture. These offences are difficult to detect, and it will continue to be almost impossible to prevent them until stock-proof fences can be provided. During the month of July a particularly heavy gale was experienced in the northern portion of North Auckland, resulting in considerable damage to the Trounson Kauri Park by the uprooting of a number of kauri-trees on the outskirts of the forest. The damage was confined to the northern portion of the reserve, which is exposed to occasional gales, and every effort must be made to prevent further encroachment. With this end in view investigations are being made of the possibility of establishing

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