SAVING THE FORESTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 27, 26 October 1918, Page 6

SAVING THE FORESTS

.All who have-given-any consideration to the question of 'forest conservation in this country will welcome the announcement made in the Goveknor-Genehal's Speech that legislation-.is.-,to .be brought down .'pro'viding.."for. the-necessary preservation of ' : rTew'-Zealand \ forests." The-'..imposition'., .if:upW -the' expc-rt/'.d.f timber, also l oresna'dow'ed,- is ■'■ at.' best 'a palli.ir tive of conditions which should never have been allowed to arise. Whatever may now be done or left undone ifi'. regard to.. regulating ex-ports.-of,.timber', the greater question -0f..-forest : eonsemtio'n. undoubtedly calls for the earliest- possible treatment. Hitherto our forests have been, treated not as the priceless .'asset'.tJiey.a/ro,\ b.ut."as' .an. encuni-:branee,,to..-.l|e-'-cleared away.'; Already we : are- paying- part- of.- the penalty— as the price of timber and our growing dependence on timber imports bear eyen the present generation-■will not' escape still heavier penalties of a similar nature if the reckless squandering- of our •native •.-timber-; resources, which has 'ruled up'.'to ; the present'is allowed to continue; "In practically all the European countries, including those in which the war is being fought, great areas (frequently as much as twenty per cent, of the land of the "country)'are clothed in for<Ms which have been preserved and carefully tended for centuries. Except where they ihave.been .deVastated warthese forests are as productive as lliey have ever been. They yield constant supplies.,of ..timber year to .year-,- but all-.fiiat'.is taken out -.is made .good by new growth. In this.'country the -forests' Ijave been •ruthlessly- attacked with axe'and fire since the dawn of settlement, and hardly any distinction has 1 been made -.between forest which was : bound'to give" way before advancing settlement and that which ought to be- preserved and . perpetuated becaiise 1 it is the.richest.crop the land oh -.■which.it stands will ever bear. Matters have already gone so far that- prompt action is needed to save the remnants of our forests, and though some.preliminary steps have j been- taken : : by the' Government a great deal remains to be clone. Sir Francis Bell has been made Minister of Forestry,, but there is not yet a Forestry Department with a trained forester to direct its operations.. Until such a Department is /In working operation it will lie im-possible-to undertake the demarcation of forests on ordinary Crown 'lands. I'lie establishment of the.Departmerit'ls an essential preliminary to the inauguration of a comprehensive scheme of forest conservation. It is.no.excuse.for further delay that "the remaining duration of the war is still uncertain. Much of the preliminary work to be done is in the nature of planning and surveying, and it:will be some time before the actual ,work of. forest- conservation can be put 'in-hand.' Moreover, ta'king- ■ the■ 'experience of : other countries 'as' -a guide,' the-' expenditure j galled ' for,"''with';a-'Forest Depart- 1 merit in''fiill : 6pei'ati6nj would not be very large, and a quicker and better return would be obtained than'is usual' in'the case of public ex-1 penditure on development works.! .Much useful_ information in regard to the existing condition -of our .forests and the possibilities of con.seryation (should -lie. supplied in a. report by-Mil:.;, D. E. ■ H.utciiixs -which' is-riowvin" the hands of the Government, 'The.'.report should bo'! made: available to.iiiembcrs of Par-, liahient- and the-.public before the contemplated legislation' is submitted. ,