STATE FORESTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1922, Page 4

STATE FORESTS.

to (JR OF INSP'EC'ftON. | CHRISTCHURCH, Mai'cb 7. ' f Mr L. Mackintosh Ellis, Director of , Forestry, and Mr C. M. Malfroy, of the State Forestry Department, returned to Christchurch yesterday, after , making aif inspection of some of the . State forest reserves on the West I Coast and in the northern districts. ; Speaking to a “Press” reporter yes- j terday, Mr Ellis said that after travelling some 2000 miles in the past six weeks, he was satisfied that the State must husband its forest reserves very carefully, and make certain that they were utilised to the best advantage. The journey to the West Coast was •’ made via Hanmer, Glenwye, and Can-

nibal Gorge. In the Nelson province , they saw some wonderful beech forests, | and the trip right through was parficu-1 larly interesting. The greater part of the distance was covered on horseback, and the travellers had to ride for miles in single file over a narrow track, j The mountain scenery was very impressive, and Mr Ellis said that it equalled anything of the kind to be seen in any part of the world, not excluding the Swiss Alps and the Canadian Rockies. At Hokitika, the party was joined by Messrs A. D. McGavoek, Conservator of Forests for Westland ; R. S. Galbraith, •Commissioner of Crown Hands, Westland; and Colin McFarlane, Senior Crown Lands Ranger. The party

;raveiled down the West Coast to Jackson’s Bay, and returned to the East Doast by way of the Haast Gorge. The varmest hospitality was extended to the nspeeting officers by the settlers of the back-blocks, who, in every instance, did their utmost to assist them and make them comfortable. Mr Ed's was very much surprised to find the enormous increase which had taken place in the deer herds, particularly between Mt Cook and Lake Wakatipu. The deer have multiplied by thousands, and Mr Ellis stated that if they were allowed to continue to increase at the present rate, they would do irreparable damage to the forests, not only on the east side of the range, hut in Westland, where they were found hundreds of mites from their place of liberation. Westland was the natural timber store-house for the South Island, said Mr Ellis, hut it should he realised that the reserves were not limrtTess. It was the object of the State Forestry Depart, inent to protect the reserves from fire, and the ravages of vermin and game.