PRESERVATION OF WAIPOUA KAURI FOREST

Chronicle (Levin), 11 January 1947, Page 5

PRESERVATION OF WAIPOUA KAURI FOREST

-Press Association

MINISTER EXPLAINS POLICY

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Jan. 10. In view of the reeent eriticism oi policv ad'opted by the Forest Service in its eontrol of the Waipoua State Forest, the Coininissioner of Gtate forest.- ( I Ion. G. F. Skinnerj said it wa,--Jesired to inake- known the proposaK eoncerning the future of ihe forest Mucli. of the eriticism had eome fron, jiersons who had nevor seen Waipoua oi who had no knowledge of kauri and ithabits. On the other liand the State Forest Service, in frnming its policv. had been guided by its experience will. and olyseryation -of tlie kauri. - Tio piiliey wag. ixdt: btsed, on guesswork bii/' on .■ faet s.. * fhGibredt ' %nd -observat ibn. made over a long peribd. 'Tnder the present -arrangement a ' portibn of the forest is to be left un ■listurbed except for. the removal of lead or dying trees. Tn the opinion of the Now Zealarul Institute of Forester.--. an independent professional body, the removal of this dead and (lying timbei will create niore favourable conditions for the regenerat ion of the kauri anJ ■s in accord witli fundainental and universally accepted principles. The area to he reserved will lie so seleeted as to ad.join tlie State highway, thus preserving the scenic * value of the I forest. The balanee of the forest is to he workod under a long-terrn plan pro viding for the removal of matere trees. The growth of young kauri and otlim -pecies will be eneouraged, and in this way the forest should vield timber in regular quantities for all time. Thi-' foilows the precedent set in many of the historically famous forests of Europe where the . applieation of the principles of forest management had resulted in an increase in the vield of timber. Mr. Skinner said he had been impressed with the manner in which the problem of timber production and con servation had been taekled by the Forest Service and its keenness topreserve for ever the eountry's native timber. He would not have eoneurred in the policv adopted for Waipoua had he not felt sure it was based on sound principles. Deputations from all over the countrv had wailed on him from time to time requesting an increase in the production of kauri and the loosen ing of controls. Despite the faet that timber xvas required for purposes ft)'' which kauri had always been regarded as a virtual neeessity, such as boat building, and the making of churns and vats, he had consistentlv refused to reeommend the Government to deviate from its present poliey of kauri preservation. He sliared in the pride with wThich the kauri forest was held throughout the countrv and -he would do evervthing in his power to see that kauri and other native forests were- not only; protected but also extended,