Forest policies

Press, 27 January 1986, Page 20

Forest policies

Sir, —I was surprised at Cath Ford’s interpretation of my letter. Beyond the Southern Alps it is still not widely appreciated what a critical time is rapidly approaching for the West Coast timber industry. I stated what Government policy was and used Forest Service figures to illustrate what this would mean. I suggested Governments had persistently failed to address the problem and supported a beech scheme in North Westland/ Buller. Why are there less than 400 ha of exotic plantations in South Westland? Was there no “waste” or marginally-exploited land suitable, or did Governments simply fail to bang the heads of Lands and Forests together and demand some action? The total implied reduction in supply is unlikely to be enforced immediately in 1990, but political pressures will probably ensure that any phase-out does not extend beyond 1995. Does one exhaust a resource to maximise one’s own livelihood or compromise for the sake of employment of future generations?— Yours, etc., ERIC BENNETT. Wellington, January 21, 1986.

Sir, —Like Cath Ford, I am concerned about the resultant job losses in small West Coast towns from the proposed reduction in indigenous sawmilling to the sustainable level. No-one can afford to dismiss out of hand the social consequences of industry restructuring. However, my concern for the future of towns such as Harihari would be far greater if the industry had its way and kept on grossly over-cutting the forests and wastefully misusing our dwindling supplies of decorative native timbers. In a few short years the resource would be exhausted and all employment in indigenous milling lost forever. Properly conserved, our native forests can provide sustainable employment opportunities in added-value timber processing, nature conservation, tourism and recreation. West Coasters should be wary of playing into the hands of the cityowned timber industry by uncritically backing its unreasonable demands for a continuation of excessively high cutting rates.— Yours, etc.,

KEVIN SMITH. Harihari, January 21, 1986.