SCENIC RESERVES

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1934, Page 11

SCENIC RESERVES

PAPER PROTECTION

SOMETHING MORE NEEDED

SPECIAL INSPECTION

The Government has put protective reservations over a number of scenic areas, but tho. paper protection is not enough. The number of private citizens who will voluntarily interfere to protect a scenic reserve is not as' great as is the number who.will interfere to damage the bush or who will look on while the bush burns. Some organisation is necessary to protect'i the reserves, and that means money.. Unless they are protected from intentional or accidental fire, and from asemen and quadrupeds, the damage done to them will be made an excuse for milling (and ultiriiately destroying) them.. Politicians will yield to, pressure, ' unless counter-pressure,, is exerted, .so that the scenic reserves, may be protected. : Mr; E. Phillips Turner, who is better qualified by close association than-is anyone else to speak of the scenic .reserves, writes to the Editor:— •- • ■ .

In joining in the discussion on scenery preservation which has lately appeared in the "Evening Post," I must begin by thanking you for the prominence and support you have given the subject. During part, of my official career. I was for about ten years employed mainly on the inspection of, scenic reserves already proclaimed and'-the .reporting on and surveying of new: ones. . -Apart, therefore, from the natural interest the subject has always.been to me, I think it will be admitted that my experience entitles me to speak .with, knowledge and confidence. ■' THE ZEAL OF THIRTY YEARS AGO. . Like forestry scenery preservation'in ■New Zealand has. had its ups and downs. In 190.3 there was so much' importance attached-.to the subject that the Government of the day got a special SceneryPreservation Act passed, and in 1904 a Boyal Commission was appointed, to inspect'certain areas' throughout the colony and to make recommendations for the proclaiming of such areas as they deemed it advisable to have permanently reserved. In 1907 the present- writer was appointed inspector of scenic •■reserves for the Dominion, with the.duty.of inspecting all the .reserves and reporting on them to the "head of-the Department (Lands),' by which they were administered. After the outbreak of the World War there' was little or no money/for the, acquisition of new areas or the efficient maintenance of old ones. The appointment of a speciallyqualified, officer to look after the reserves would not be considered. ■ They could, therefore, get. only such guardianship .as the ordinary Crown lands rangers could give;5/.Seeing-that these rangers'have a great'pressure: of work in connection with soldier settlement and ordinary 'land, settlement it can be imagined that they could not have, much time to spend on .the scenic reserves. THE "BOARDING POLICY. , Of late years it has. been the policy to set up local "scenic boards'.', and-to vest the control of reserves in these boards. In the present writer's opinion this policy is not a wise one. The main object in creating scenery reserves is the preservation inviolate of. certain types of indigenous vegetation. or places of topographical or historic interest, in order that such places may be used for recreation or study not only by ourselves butalso by our successors. If it be admitted that this is-the objective, then I contend that such objective can be attained only if the reserves are under: the guardianship of some' persons or person who has made a study of our indigenous plant life and .what is required to secure its unaltered permanence. In small townships and in rural districts it is difficult to find four or fi.ve persons who are genuinely interested in the preservation; of A qur'forests and beauty spots,. and; qn the "fare .'occasions, on" which' •jfi•terested ones are found such persons have no idea, _Or'have 'wrong ideas, as tb"^rhat is essential to secure the integrity of and prevent the deterioration of the reserves. FAITH IN GOATS. :: I have known cases in which it hasbeeri claimed that horses,.calves, and.sheep may with- safety,be' allowed in scenic reserves. I know of one case in which a scenic board allowed the running of goats in a very beautiful scenic reserve on a' main. highway. ■ The esciis6 was that blackberries, -had: got, into the. reserve and.that goats were the .best means- of keeping down the -.■weed!'-.- '■■ ■ .-■■-■■; :■ '•.;'. ...:'•.. ■: '~ ■' . In your issue of the your contributor, "8.H.D.5.," appears to favour a board to have. control of all, the scenic reserves of the Dominion; and'he proposes that a-"trust .fund'-'-'should be established I in: order .that this board would have the requisite funds. At present I cannot concur with this proposal,: as T fear such :a board would .be composed: of ex; ofßcio members who had no genuine interest in scenery preservation, or knowledge of the ideals and objects of conservationists.' Further, I think there would not be the slightest chance of the Government appropriating sufficient money to establish a [fund the income of which would defray i the necessary expenses of administration, etc.. ■ . "■. ... -■.'■■. AN INSPECTORATE FOR £ 1000. For the present I am of opinion that the wisest, course is to urge the Government to appoint a chief inspector of scenic reserves for the Dominion, such officer to be directly under the Under-Secretary of Lands. Among other qualifications, the person appointed-.should be of robust health, as. inaccessible • and very rough country has to be reported on; he should have a fair knowledge of our indigenous flora and avifauna; some knowledge of surveying and mapping; and most important of all, he should have a natural love and aptitude for the work entrusted to him. The total cbst'of such an officer would not exceed about £1000 a year. Now visitors to our shores.are often telling us that in our scenery we have an asset of very great value. His Excellency the GovernorGeneral has recently expressed the opinion that m the future our scenery will, if preserved, be more valuable than any one of our primary industries. Surely it is wise to pay attention to advice so competent and impartial. ' -