FOREST POLICY.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 November 1921, Page 3

FOREST POLICY.

(By .1. H. Simmonds in Auckland Weekly News.) A careful 'analysis of the Forests Bill before Parliament, and of tin: statements and admissions made by Captain Macintosh Ellis, in his Auckland lecture, leaves the impression that the proposed State forests policy will neither avert a timber famine nor save our denuded uplands from being washed into the sea. For the past ‘do years or- more our state forests service has givdn its attention mainly to the planting of exotic timber trees on denuded areas, i State forests officers and private planters alike assumed from experience and observation that the indigenous forests could not be easily preserved, and would not readily regenerate, under the conditions imposed by European occupation and settlement. In •all directions the indigenous forest Horn was seen to be receding and vanishing. Everywhere there wore indications that an exotic forest flora was destined to lake its place. It thus became a generally accepted opinion, that the ehief function of a forest service was to plant the most promising of the exotic timber trees as fast and as extensively as possible. These conclusions, based on the experience and observation of oO years ace now challenged. Men who have lived and worked among the trees are asked to believe that the native •species grow much faster than has ■ jbooii supposed, and can lx* icgcmuat- < d in the mass without any serious difficulty.

The time lias come when the taxpayers of New Zealand should take an interest in this question and ascertain the truth. It will he convenient to begin with statements that must ho accepted on both sides ol the argument. Over large areas of the Dominion the original native forests have totally disappeared. There exist now only remnants. Two or three thousand acres of kauri in the North, some patches of mixed hush in Central Ninth Island, beech forests in the far South. mixed forests in Westland, anil a little mixed hush in north-west Nelson these arc all that remain. Even these remnants are continuously shrinking. Felling fur settlement, saw-milling, and ravages hy lire annually reduce the ticre-

UEGENERATIO.V OF FORESTS. At a time when the whole world is iiienaecd with timber famine, we are asked to turn these remnants of indigenous forest as the major and permanent source of supply for our growing population and industries. The proposal is based on the belief that, the native hush can lie satisfactorily regenerated and imprmeil. We know that under favourable and adapted conditions all forests regenerate hy natural process. We know also that it is the

normal practice of foresteis to use regeneration whoever possible, instead ol planting. In Australia the eucalyptus forests regenerate to a millahle iuntilr- . ity in about 111 years: hut we have no native tree in New Zealand equal in vitality ami rate of growth to the 1 eucnlypt. In Europe a pine or spruce 1 or fir forest will regenerate for the sawI mill ill about 800 years; hut. here, again the forest conditions differ from those !of our native bush. The behaviour of our indigenous forest, when touched ' hy European settlement, is no secret. • It has been under the observation : of hundreds of capable and well-inform-ed men for over half a. century. Ex-

; ports coining along now may restudy the problem, but they cannot alter ! p'*nonil conclusions. Wo are at a stage j wlicii the trutli about our forests must |be told with fearless candour. What | then is the truth with respect to rogi-n- ---| cration The answer need not make a ; lone; story j Then* is not in all Xcw /calami a sinj eh* sawmill working in bush that has | thrown ii]) from seed since* the ground j was worked over hy an earlier ijiill. If : any sawmiller has tinned back to cut. t his ground over again. it has been Ijo- ! c.nuso, at the first cutting, ho had left

, behind some mature or nearly mature J trees standing. There is not to be found anywhere in the track of the sawmills or of the forest fires a <Olll- - past thousand acres of clean and evenlysaplings. ( Regeneration is taking place in many

localities, but it is iarcl.v satisfactory m suliieient |\ promising. AA dial wo usually sec is a tangled growth of sill libs. biacken, and blnckherrybranible, with scattered specimens and patches of the limber-yielding species. All ibis eotild lie altered and impiuved by the employment ol numerous skilled workmen: bill the cost would be very great and the hnivets slow In coming to maturity. It is on .•iceotmt of cost that objection is taken to the extensive planting of exotics on open country; but alter a few years of expel'i lit we may have to admit that the effective

regeuera l ion of die native bush is still more costly and much less profitable. Once established and matured, the manmade forest will have a mueli better prospect of natural iegeneration than the indigenous forest: so that ultimately the plaining scheme will be a long wav the mine profitable lor the

nation. Something 11111-1 be done with the mixed native hush, of course, bill (be best tiling in do may be lo interplant it with the most vigurnus exnlie.s and leave them lo light out Ihe battle of sinvival with the unlives. I lie native tiees most likely tp reproduced oil a eo i n sidin a tile scale are knliikaten and rinm, both of which yield timber of relatively mieWor value. Their re-

placement by exotics would be no economic loss lo the country. The possible cultivation of the kauri is a. problem upon, and will always lie icstrielei to limited areas in N lib. 1)1 EEll'U LTI ES AHEAD.

The second great function of forestis the protection of uplands from cm shill, and of riveis from being ebokec up with sill : and I again, the pro posals of the Ui 1 res fry Depaitmeiit I'ai 111 t.heir outlook Oil national necessity Id will be obvious to ally one win gives the subject even casual though that forests, situated on the westen slopes of the South Island, in in Ceil tral North Island, mu tin nothing I icstoie and prelect the vast areas o denuded and wasting upland in ollic pails uf the Dominion. The State, ha no scheme lor attempting to save thes uplands, beyond giving a little time advice to owners of land and Inca bodies.

A third vital principle in forestry i that (he I ices shall he grown in local

tics whence the timber ami other products can he carried to the places of use conveniently and at moderate cost. The steep ridges and deep gullies of Westland will always ho practically remote I roin the markets. It may he that they are lit for nothing else hut forest. and must always he clothed with trees, hut that can never he n sufficient reason for not providing forests on the east hoard of the country, and within some reasonable distance of the cities and large towns. The taxpayers should wake up at once to the utter insufficiency and unsnitahlciiess of the policy that is coming so painfully to the birth. Captain Ellis is probably doing and saying all that, it is possible for him to do and say. He is in the grip of conditions that lie may deplore as sincerely as any of us who are trying to help his cause. He must know where arc being planted to-day the seeds of disappointment and failure. He must know that any attempt to regenerate the indigenous forests of New Zealand will be difficult, costly, and slow of results. He must see reason to doubt whether, under any treatment these forests can ho made to maintain even their present yield. It must he obvious to him that forests are urgently needed in other places to conserve the rainfall, to hold the upland soils, and to anticipate the local demand for wood. His knowledge of forestry practice ami-forest law must tell him that the whole scheme need I undid and thomugh revision.