Green calls for high contorta priority by WPI

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 558, 18 October 1994, Page 1

Green calls for high contorta priority by WPI

Statements about Pinus contorta made by Manawatu Wanganui Regional Council officer Neil Mickelson, reported in last week's Bulletin, have drawn strong reaction from the Department of Conservation. Mr Mickelson said there was no evidence to prove absolutely that wind was the main agent in spreading pinus contorta seed and that wilding pines in Defence land and in the Tongariro National Park may have sprouted from seed spread by vehicles and the boots of walkers. Tongariro-Taupo regional conservator for the Department of Conservation Paul Green challenges Mr Mickelson' s statements: • I am concerned at some of the comments reported in your article on Pinus Contorta ( Bulletin 1 1 October 1 994). Over the past 25-years the Department of Conservation has co-ordinated an extensive volunteer and contractor programme to control wilding pines in Tongariro National Park. This practical experience gives us the knowledge that contorta seeds do travel great distances on the wind, and certainly more than 30-feet as suggested by the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council. The largest concentration of wilding contorta which have germinated from a wind blown seed source, occurs above Winstone Pulp International's Karioi Forest^ (within Tongariro National Park), on unoccupied Maori land and on Defence land. ^ n

Seedlings are found growing up to an altitude of 2 1 00m, some 6km above the Karioi Forest' s topmost boundarv^^P_ which is at 1 100m. We do not ^ agree with the suggestion that these seeds ha ^HeatCi been transported^^^^ y ~ ! by vehicles or on foot^^P^ 3PEN DAILY from 12 nooN wear. RRFAKFAST SAT & STIN7-¥>5im

The MWRC suggests that it is difficult to pinpoint the source of seeds. The Department of Conservation is working to systematically remove all wilding pines from Tongariro National Park. In particular the Department is removing those at high risk from spreading windblown seed. Seed from Karioi poses a much greater risk due to its exposed site and proximity to alpine areas of Tongariro National Park. On a recent weekend, volunteers removed and destroyed some 130,000 pinus contorta trees. While the Department appreciates the problem WPI face with controlling pinus contorta, it believes it is essential they continue to give high priority to^^^r this work. Paul Green H |J Q © I Regional Conservator, Department §f of Conserva- K9P I tion