TIMBER RESOURCES

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 28, 28 October 1942, Page 8

TIMBER RESOURCES

Work Of State Forestry Service CAREFUL CONSERVATION •’A shortage of indigenous timbers in the relatively near future is a certainty and not a bogy, but it is a, major objective of the national forest policy to alleviate its seriousness b.V careful conservation of all remaining resources,” states the annual report of the State Forest Service. "Limitation of the kauri and white pine cut. to absolutely essential demands has already been achieved, and early extension of this policy to totara and matai is essential, particularly in the interests of rehabilitation housing, leaving rimu and insignis pine to meet the bulk of war demands. Extensive reconnaissance of insignis pine and the more accessible rimu resources is being undertaken as a preliminary to eventual complementary control of their cutting.” After asserting that lack of knowledge of soils, ecology and silviculture in indigenous forests is serious and that this must be remedied by reorganization and concentration of staff, the report states: “As from next planting season, all interplanting with exotics and other silvicultural treatments on untended forests will be terminated and thereafter be concentrated on management units adequately staffed and equipped to give a return commensurate with the expenditure and time given to the various investigations.” Such units are to be established on both commercial and protection forests and will l>e managed so as to provide not only sustained production of timber, but: also the preservation of watershed, countererosion, recreational and scientific values. Value of Tawa. Referring to tawa forests, the report states that tawa is the only gen-eral-purpose, factory-use hardwood existing in sufficient quantities to make the Dominion independent of imported oak, beech, maple and elm. The tawa forests, therefore, merit much more attention than previously accorded them. A solution has been found for the problems of drying tawa and protecting it from insect and fungus attacks “Tlie demand for exotic timbers much exceeds the available supply, and assessment surveys and management plans for the older State exotic forests are being persevered with in order that a maximum yield of sawlogs may lie effected at as early a date as practicable.” the report, continues. “The log-frame type of sawmill already developed by the department has advanced the date of sawlog production by many years, but forest wastage in very short and crooked logs is still large enough to warrant investigation into the development of special sawing equipment for such material. The departmental policy of planting a variety of species of general utility rather than of concentrating upon insignis pine continues to find vindication with every passing year. Larch and Douglas fir, in particular, are filling many unexpected uses and the quality of the timber produced > both by these sjiecies and by Corsican pine augurs well for their future. Forestry and Farming. “Forestry should be an integral part of the farm economy of most districts, and the establishment of relatively ' small State exotic forests has been accepted as a major rehabilitation effort of the Forest. Service. Land-acquisi-tion, covering as it will numerous titles, some of them subject perhaps to mining rights, will be difficult, but the advantage of producing timber-supplies locally and of providing seasonal employment for farm workers make it imperative to solve these various problems, no matter how involved. Complementary to the State effort, encouragement should be given in suitable districts to the proper development of farm forestry, and a special study of this branch of forestry in other countries has been commenced as a preliminary to the drafting of suitable recommendations.

‘‘Exotie softwoods must replace the indigenous timbers as extensively as practicable and as rapidly as the exotic forests will yield suitable sawlogs,” says the report. “Only by this means can the Dominion be made selfsufficieht in timber-supplies. Most important of all, it-means that insignis pine, ponderosa pine, Corsican pine, Douglas fir, and larch must be as widely used for building purposes as they are at present employed for boxing and crating work. Though demand exceeds supply even for boxing-work, advantage is being taken of every opportunity which offers for experimenting with and demonstrating the utility of these woods for building purposes, and departmental buildings erected in various timbers are yielding invaluable ihfor future guidance.”