Tongariro Forest - a protected area

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 447, 4 August 1992, Page 13

Tongariro Forest - a protected area

This is the second of a series of articles written about Tongariro Forest by Conservation Officer lan Goodison of Whakapapa. Over the last two years the Department of Conservation has carried out extensive work to protect the area from the impacts of introduced plant and animal species. One of the major problems has been Pinus contorta, or Ladgepole pine. A plantation of this north American import in the Taurewa area has spread thousands of wilding pine trees over the Tongariro Forest area. Many thousands of man-hours have gone into the cutting and pulling of this virulent species. The most cost effective method in the more inaccessible areas has been the use of teams of workers ferried around by helicopter. Boundary fencing is needed to prevent nearby farm animals from damaging native bush and

wetland areas. Last year 6 kilometres of boundary fence was erected and a further 4 kilometres is being built this year, all by local fencing contractors. Most of this fencing is on boundaries only recently finalised with adjoining Landcorp farms. Feral goats are a problem in some areas of Tongariro Forest. A few years ago, the price of goats increased dramatically when it appeared that a substantial industry could develop around the production of Angora fibre. After the price of goats dropped back to almost nothing, many animals appear to have escaped captivity and reverted to the wild, which explains why today the feral herds are concentrated around the perimeter of Tongariro Forest. Several methods of hunting are used to reduce goats numbers. DoC staff spend over 100 person-days per

year hunting on foot and 5 hours per year are spent hunting the steep bluff areas by helicopter. Once a year the Taumarunui Rod, Rifle and Gun Club hold a special goat shooting day in which members systematically hunt allocated areas on search and destroy missions. The worst area of infestation is along the Whakapapa river between the Papamanuka confluence and Owhango and around the Raurimu area. We have recently commenced using dogs

trained for goat hunting to assist with locating animals in the dense bush and steep terrain of this area. Possums are a wellrecognised national problem, both for the damage that they do to native forest and as carriers of bovine tuberculosis. The Department of Conservation has spent its limited possum control money on areas with a higher national priority for protection such as the Waipoua Kauri Forest in Northland. However the Wanganui-

Manawatu Regional Council has been carrying out possum control programmes in this area including the western perimeter of Tongariro Forest. The purpose of these programmes is to control tuberculosis because of the serious effect on dairy and beef cattle farming. Possum hunters are permitted in Tongariro Forest under a block management system. There are a total of 11 blocks with 7 currently active. Blocks are issued for a 3-month period

with renewal for up to 1 year subject to demand and performance. Low skin prices mean that there is not a great demand for possum blocks at present, however a recent reduction in the applied rate of withholding tax for skin saies may make possum hunting more financially attr active. We would like to hear from anyone seriously interested in obtaining a possum block. The next article will be about the special wildlife of Tongariro Forest.