TIMBER SUPPLIES

Hokitika Guardian, 11 June 1929, Page 8

TIMBER SUPPLIES

OUR VANISHING FORESTS. POLICY OF THE GOVERNMENT. WELLINGTON, Juno 5. The conservation of our remaining forests and the afforestation of all lands which cannot he profitably fanned, arc the two cardinal points in the policy of the State Forest Service, according to an important statement made by the Commissioner of State Forests (the Hon Mr Taverner), who reviewed the position of forestry in the Dominion, and explained wjmt lines the service intended to follow. Since the war, said the Minister, it had 'been accepted as an axiom of national economics that island countries should not be dependent on overseas supplies for their timber. Tt had been stated by competent 1 authorities that at the present rate of consumption the indigenous timber supplies of New Zealand would be practically exhausted by 19Go, and that the Dominion's annual requirements by that date would - be approximately 700,000,009 board feet. “Now, where is this timber to come from?” asked the Minister.

“It will not be available from our present chief sources of overseas supplies. Canada and U.S.A., for the authorities of those countries inform us that they will them.selves be short of timber, and will have none to export. They have both already started to import timber from the Baltic States. It will therefore be agreed that it is highly desirable that we should produce our own supplies. “It has been calculated that the 700,000,009 feet required annually bv 19(55 will be produced from the following sources State plantations, 150,000,009 feet; private companies and local bodies, 150,000,000 feet; indigenous forests, 50,000,C00 feet; oversea (timbers for special purposes); 50,000,000 feet. “In the past.” continued Mr Taverner, “the main planting activities of the’State in New Zealand have been confined to the Rotorua-Taupo pumice lands. It has for some time been recognised that grass can be grown on this class of land, but in the past the expense has been prohibitive, and. afforestation are in the main subject to that fell disease, “cattle sickness,’ for which no adequate and inexpensive remedy has yet been found. However, with respect to those lands the Government has already announced its future policy of careful demarcation, and ultimate utilisation. The execution ol this policy is now proceeding through the usual' Departmental channels, and will, I believe,) still provide ample areas to justify tii o continuance of substantial planting in the pumice region, nondurable country. “This, does not, • however, fully answer the general questions as to where arc the lands which should be -tiliscd to produce our future supplies. There are, for instance, the extensive •nasta.l samly wastes of the north, and the arid and rocky country of the south. Both of these, in the opinion of the State Forest Service, are clearly unsuitable, because, although trees can be grown on such lands the cost would be too great to justify the State in embarking on such as a commercial proposition. The alternative, then, is to select reasonably sized and suitably situated blocks of country which are not and never can be, arable land, and • v re not at present profitable pasture land. Some of the land now being afforested by the State will possibly, m the light of improved pasture and ".took management, be found capable of utilisation for pastoral purpose* .vhon the present trees are matured, but the. proportion is not large, am the initial steps of any policy mus always he on broad lines, with latei increasing attention to detail am minor boundary adjustments. Tie. point that present-day critics ar.. prone to ignore is mat there arc larg unused areas in New Zealand when [arming will never support settlement, and also considerable areas now allotted to settlers, which, by reason o. the poorness of the soil, high eleva Lion, or excessive gradients, are quit*, unsuited for farming.’'

Dealing with the conservation sid< ~f the work of the State Forest Service, the Minister referred to the gom work that had been done under tin

Forests Act of 1.921, in the way ol stopping the suicidal misuse of lores lands which were quite unsuitable I'm turning into farms. The Act enabled areas to be declined “provisional State forests,” and then these could be carefully inspected by the proper olticers, who could decide whether the land was suitable for farming or for permanent reservation. “It is accepted its a general rule,” said the Minister, “that si country should have not less than 2--per cent of its total land area under forest. Germany has 2G per cent and yet has to import one quarter of the timber she consumes. In New Zealand the percentage under forest Is only 19 per cent, but as a large proportion of this is on private land (anti most of this will bo destroyed), the area of forest controlled by the State is reduced to 13 per cent. duly G) per cent, or 7.750.000 acres, is State or provisional State forest, and this is liable to be reduced as further examination may show that some portions or it should he made available for .settlement..

“The population of New Zealand can doubtless be many times multiplied, but this largo population should he carried very largely on the lands which have already been settled, and which are in most cases not nearly used to their full producing capacity. The main policy objectives of the Government with respect to forests will therefore Ire in the direction of