THE FORESTS BILL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 310, 24 September 1921, Page 7

THE FORESTS BILL

A COMPREHENSIVE MEASURE ADVISORY BOARD TO BE SET UP RESERVATION OF LANDS The Forests Bill, which was introduced. in the House of Representatives yesterday,, is a comprehensive measure dealing with the organisation of the State Forest Service, defining its working scope, and providing for the reservation and administration generally of forest lands. . It. is provider! that the Forest Service, consisting of the Commissioner, the. Director, and Secretary, and other officers shall be divided into two branches —the Professional and the! Administrative. The Director of Forestry is" to be head of the Professional Branch, mid the Secretary of the Administrative Branch. The Minister (the Comniis■ion.ej) is to determine the duties to be performed, by. each section of the Service. A ’Forest Advisory. Board, is to be set *np with the Director* of Forestry as ehairman, and including also in its membership the Secretary of Forestry, one ' member representing employers in the sawmilling industry and another representing workers in that industry, one member representing persons engaged in the distribution of forest produce, one member representing any association which has as an object the promotion of forestry; a,oerson/ holding office as a Professor or at, an institution .affiliated to the University of New Zealand, and .three oilier persons to’be appointed on the recommendation of the Minister. . . Members of the board are to .bo paid gravelling expenses. The functions of the "board will be to give advice and assistance with respect to millers submitted to it by tho Minister or its, chairman. The Reservation of Forests. Lande vested in the Crown and not held in trust for any’other purpose may be’ set apart’ by proclamation as permanent or provisional State’ forests. The areas thus set apart may include national endowment Hand. The reservation of a permanent State forest, it js proposed, shall lie revocable only.nnrFnanf tri a resolution passed by Ttjfth Houses of, Parliament. The proclamation of provisional Slate forests may be revoked or altered, but it is provided that "On (he expiration of .five rears from the publication {h the Gazette a proclamation settnyr r/nnrt, anv lands’ aS a. provisional .State forest . . . tho lands to r-t lo l, the nrdolama<ion reJafes. ami which have not been excluded ’its operation .... shall insb facto- ho doomed to have Iten-irne . he’rnmh'ont' Steto forestoi . •*. . " That i' to s*”' if fho-proclamation nf'a nvo- . ’thf ’nnl ,State forest ig nof rerokefl wi*-h--ih‘ fire years it will aiildmatifiallv become a permanant State forest. *’ T,nn’d 'm.iir ho aoduirod for tho nnrnncoo ofi a permanent or-provisional State forest or for tf>o pnrndso of providing access +o a Slate fnrost.‘and if is nrnnnSrd,. further, that the’ Minister rtmnlrl boro power to’ ncp’v’ro land ronnirod in’this fvay under the PiiiM’c Works Act.’ — Workinn Rians for. F>re. Prevention. Pawor Is Inker under which th- Af’n,later,mov rarer on scwpi’TJing npd other Tore o ! i.nd.vrtrloa, Mans, of .nil S t nln ,-fnroefq aye to prepared' and tho T*l-■-rprtor is. .Tram .f.bnn - to' liny l t,o. pyoporo working- pjnn® far each pt.at-r, 1^* 1 Thr-a. .plans are to deni with her avn-rVinw. and nice with ‘o-lvienlturaT nnorn'-io’ia—the enltiy.nilnn nnd .Improve •pirnt of. ,-flie ..fornata. Once . Spproved 'bv the j-Mj niefor. working plans arc not to ho nlf.nred, «n.ve hr fl*o M’**’'*er,dn the Tpo'onvinmdnflon nt .the Tlirenfor, Tn. ■ order- to-- guard,.against fire d.nnyers. the , Xrtpwtor op- Die rereirw,rpdo l ion. eS t%o ■Pivoefor mow zloelnro any area, ; whether within a Stain., .forest or lint-, to. he a . •five dwfrjnf . -Willi reaocct to. fheea fro districts, periods wiry hr sniv’fiid during which it shall not h» lawful f or "nv nernon unless .lip br>Ms flic written permit of a forest officer...tn "t nn fir« -any timber fstanding.or felled).. or nnv underjrrowlh or forest dehria. except in a prnnrrlv constructed fireplace. ("nninrehensivo powers are taken to <regnlate 'forest leases and licenses for sawmilling, grazing etc., in forest .areas. Forest Finance. Provision . is made -for the establishment of ' State forest revenue and development accounts. It is nrorosed that the Minister of Finance should .h> -authorised to raise'a. loan not exceeding XWIfWO, to be paid into the development account. Offences and Penalties, v It’ is provided that any person wjho assaults, threatens, or attempts to intimidate a forest officer acting in the exercise of his official powers, or attempts corruptly to influence such an officer, shall 'be liable on summary conviction to a fine of dCSO. Any person who falsifies returns or declarations is to be liable to a fine of JilOO. A penalty of imprisonment for ono year' or ii fine of -tlOf) is proposed for the unlawful cutting or removal of forest produce; . Like penalties are proposed for the unlawful lighting of fires in. State forests. A reward not exceeding ,£5O may bo paid to any person not a forest officer who - gives information leading to a conviction for the last-men-tioned offence. When a fire occurs in or adjacent to a State forest, a forest officer may require any male person over the age of sixteen years residing or working in the neighbourhood to assist in extinguishing the fire. Work done in thin way will be paid for, but any person refusing, his assistance .without sufficient cause is to be liable to a fine of j£2s. Unauthorised' depasturing of stock in any State forest is made punishable by a fine of J!5O. The Director or any forest officer may enter upon forest lands, held under license, lease, or permit.’. The fraudulent alteration or eounterfei-twig. of official marks, or fhe alteration or ' removal of Iwuiidary mark? are to lie punishable : >y : nip.rt*onment for one year or a. fine of Z5O. Forest produce that is .bolica-A;'' 1-. have been unlawfully obtained -'n.v bi* seized on* behalf of the Crown, and held until the title of a lawful owner is, established, or. in the altarnafive, sold. Native Forest Trusts. It is provided that the assembled owners of any Native land may pass a. resolution "'transferring control of the land to the• Commissioner of State Forests for ndm 'i n: drat ion as a Maori forest. Such forgets are io be administered in trust for the Native owners, who will receive the net returns in proportion Io Hieir eeverai interests.