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Statement Showing Expenditure on Scenery Preservation for the Year Eni>ed 31st March, 1950 £ Acquisition of land .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 272 General administration, maintenance charges, improvements, and grants to Scenic Boards .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3,851 Trounson Kauri Park : Charges in connection with, improvement, maintenance, and protection .. .. .. .. .. .. • • 1,875 £5,998 The total expenditure to date since 1904 is £295,400, including £196,281 spent on the acquisition of land. APPENDIX B Kapiti Island Routine maintenance work has been carried out through the year on all plant and equipment, including such major work as repairs to the slipway which have just been completed. The caretaker's duties have increased greatly in scope during the" last few years. Valuable assistance has been given when asked for by people who are interested in the island. The past year has seen a good deal of publicity given to the sanctuary, both in New Zealand and in American publications such as Nature and Audobon Magazine. As a consequence, much local interest has been shown in the island and visitors have been numerous. It is obvious that public interest in the sanctuary and its ideals is steadily growing. Bird-life remains stable in most species, while observation seems to show a fairly constant increase in the numbers of kakas and green parakeets. Kiwis, which have not been in evidence around the cottage area for some months, are again regularly heard and have been reported both at the north end and south end of the island. A prominent trained observer stated, after a visit to Kapiti, that it carried the biggest bird population he had observed anywhere in New Zealand, and he thought that possibly it might be close to its maximum carrying-capacity. Opossums have not increased to any noticeable extent and damage is negligible. No trapping was done during the year, but it is planned to start again in June, 1950. Tree-planting has been confined to kowhais and totaras donated by the Taihape Borough Council and others. Some of the kowhais arrived late in the year, and of these only about 70 per cent, survived, otherwise the take was excellent.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (764 copies), £23.

By Authority: E. E. Owen, Government Printer, Wellington —1950 Price, 6cZ.] 2—C 6

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