Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1921. SAND DUNE AFFORESTATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2235, 5 February 1921, Page 2

Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1921. SAND DUNE AFFORESTATION.

TT is common knowledge that there are hundreds of thousands of acrps of sand dune country along this coast between Paekakariki and Taranaki. Between the former district and Manawalu it has been authoritatively slated that there is an area of 100,000 acres of sand dunes, much of it of a drifting character. The ownership of t,jiis land is divided between Europeans, Maoris and the Crown. Some drifts are found inland many miles from the sea coast, and there is no reason why such areas should not be protected at little cost to the owners, and the machinery of the Sand Drift Act brought into, operation. -No doubt as population increases the necessity for action in this connection will be forced upon owners who to-day are content to let things rip. But the time is ripe for action in dealing with lands within two or three miles of the ocean beach. A conference, held on January 14th, of the Wanganui, Rangitikei, Horowlienua, and Manawatu County Councils, the Wellington Provincial banners Union, and the Manawalu and West Coast A. and P. Association, passed the following resolution: —“That this.conference strongly affirms that the sand dune area on I lie West Coast of this island should be afforested, * and accordingly urges upon the Government to make an annual grant of £I,OOO per annum for five years for the purpose of enabling an experimental station to be set up by the Forestry Department for demonstration purposes. A depula-, tion from the conference submitted the resolution to the Prime Minister, who promised that a sum of £5,000 would be placed on the estimates next year for afforestation purposes. The Foxton Harbour Board, at a recent meeting, in order to show its practical sympathy with the af-

forest a tion .scheme, decided to offer the .Government a portion of its en^

dowmenl on the Foxion Beach for the purpose of a.nursery. The Board has gone out of its way to make this generous offer, which it is hoped the Government will accept. Apart from providing suitable trees and afforesting waste Crown lands, we fail to see that the Government would be justified in going any further, unless it acquired the whole of the waste areas in a State afforestation scheme. The point is that if this waste land were planted now, in 30 or -10 years hence it would lie worth £3OO to £4OO per acre. It is hoped that the Forestry Department will give the matter of afforesting the sand dune areas of this coast early attention, in view of its geographical suitability for the purpose.