Out of the woods

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 424, 18 February 1992, Page 10

Out of the

woods

Winstones bought Waimarino forest in September 1989 and with the purchase "the viability of the Karioi Pulp Mill (was) assured", as managing director Klas Kronkvist said at the time. The acquisition of Waimarino forest was followed by the purchase of the cutting rights to Karioi Forest in 1990, and recently

the cutting rights to Erua and parts of Rangataua forests. When the decision was made in 1976 to build the Karioi Pulp Mill, a government environmental impact report stated that a forest had to be established to ensure the mill's supply of wood, because Karioi Forest would not sustain the mill. Waimarino Forest was established on land leased from the Pipiriki, Atihau Whanganui, and Ngaporo Waimarino Incorporations, plus 5000 hectares freehold land purchased for the purpose. The forest planting was completed in 1990, after 12 years of work, and includes 9500 hectares of radiata pine with the balance of 14,000 hectares in native forest, catchment, and wildlife reserves. Sustainable cutting Production of timber from the Waimarino forest is due to start in

the mid-1990sl sustainable pl tion of 250,00® metres per yel reached by 20l marily the forl supply the mil will also prodil logs of framinl quality. Six contradl salaried staffa ployed now ti growth, the rl system, thinnl and generalll taining the fcl Once producl starts in excel people will bl em ployed. "And the di start milling il we start replal said Forests m Terry Tapp. I Bought 19 The compal bought Karioi said Mr Tappl esnure their 1 the wood rescl They did not I an advantagel someone else I forest. During 199 a company tooll

300,000 tonnel with around 4l cent saw log al v remainder roil ■ wood for postl poles and for 1 wood. The forest is up of 50 per cl nor species (nl diata) includil torta, muricatl glas fir, lawsorl cyprus. "There is vel demand for thl as sawlog henl high proporticl pulp wood," sl Tapp. "We hal compete withl and New Zeall been brainwal thinking 'radil though there il ing wrong witll it." He said thejl successfully nl green contortal derosa, corsicl lawson as welll glas fir, but thl cause New Zel forestry industl geared aroundl ata, that is whai replace these I

Trees like the ponderosa pine would produce very good quality timber in 50 years' time, when they would be 110 years old plus. But the company can't afford to wait, said Mr Tapp. "The day you buy a forest is the day you have to start to see a return. " "Back in 1978 the mill was using 50-60 per cent minor species wood. Now in 1992 it's 90 per cent radiata and it will soon be 100 per cent." "It's a good pulp timber, it's good for our system and our buyers want radiata pine." The company can't afford the time it takes to grow trees to match radiata, said Mr Tapp. It takes 20 to 25 years to grow a radiata to minimum production

size, while other species can take 60 to 70 years. "The botanists tell us there is no fear that radiata is likely to slow down in growth rates. In fact the second crop will be better than the first with a better seed source and better silTurn page 12

Out of the woods

Frompage 11 vicultural management." Inherited problem A problem inherited with the forest is the Pinus contorta seed source - a block of trees planted during the depression of the

thirties. The tree is classed as a noxious weed and there is an obligation to remove the seed trees by 1993. "At the rate we are cutting there is every hope that we will achieve that aim," said Mr Tapp. Added to Karioi and Waimarino is Erua

and Rangataua, which the company recently tendered for cutting rights to. Erua contains small numbers of exotic species including lawson, cyprus and douglas fir planted in the 1920s on pld pulling tracks among native forest. The idea is to take out the exotic

timber and let the native regenerate. At Rangataua they have undertaken to remove a plantation of contorta, north-west of the Karioi Lakes. These trees will start to fall to the harvesters next month, with the aim of having it cleared, also by 1993.