Contorta battle grinds on

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 557, 11 October 1994, Page 1

Contorta battle grinds on

Removal of mature stands of contorta may now be some years away as the 1993 target date has already passed with 400 hectares still standing. An aim to remove seed-source Pinus contorta stands from Karioi Forest by the end of 1993 has not been met, but Winstone Pulp International says it is working hard on the problem. Pinus contorta, or lodge pole pine, is a noxious weed that threatens to smother Tongariro NationalParkup to an altitude of approximately 1900 metres which is well above the natural bush line. Seedlings have been found as high as the top T-Bar on Turoa Skifields. Also under threat is the Waiouru Army Training Group land which would be made unusable even by tanks by the trees. Winstone Pulp International forests manager Robin Peterson was

quoted last week as saying he "would hesitate to place a time frame" on the final clearing of the seed-source blocks. He is quoted as saying the total eradication was "long term". WPI general manager Dave Ahderson told the Bulletin yesterday that the company was working hard on the problem but that it was difficult and would be long-term — up to 30 years. "We understand what our obligations are and we are working hard to achieve that," he said. He said there was 250,000 tonnes of mature contorta (about 400 hectares) in Karioi Forest. This is about a third of the original blocks, he estimated. Steps WPI are taking to control the weed include: keeping a 200 metre wide strip around Karioi Forest free of seedlings (this sees a gang of four employed full-time with a second gang soon to be started); making alterations to the Tangiwai sawmill to handle green contorta so that it can be economically processed much faster; pulping as much of the timber as they can (it must be blended with other species); finding markets for pulped contorta wood elsewhere; and accepting timber and pulp wood from other land-o wners who also have obligations to clear shelter belts and blocks. The Bulletin was told by Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council officer Neil Mickelson that the council was happy with the progress being made by WPI. He said WPI had a programme mapped out and that the council, who administers noxious weed control, was "more than satisfied" with it. It would have been unrealistic, if not physically impossible, to clear the stands by 1993. Mr Mickelson said the New Zealand Forest Service, who used to own Karioi Forest, had not expected to clear the blocks before 2000. He said the view that seed can be carried up to 20 kilometres by wind was under question, and that it was now considered that seed may only ^ travel up to 30 feet by wind. It may be that other wilding seed may

have been transported on tootwear, on army venicies in tne defence land and on other vehicles elsewhere. ^

"It would be a brave man that would say for sure that Karioi Forest was the seed source (for the wildings ^

in the Tongariro National Park and on Defence Land)." ^

He said there were blocks of mature cOntorta on DoC land and on De- ^

fence land that could also be

seed sources.