TIMBER SHORTAGE

Southland Times, Issue 24885, 27 October 1942, Page 3

TIMBER SHORTAGE

A Future Certainty

“A shortage of indigenous timbers in the relatively near future is a certainty,” says the annual report of the State Forest Service, “but it is a major objective of the national forest policy to alleviate its seriousness by careful conservation of all remaining resources.” Limitation of the kauri and white pine cut to absolutely essential demands had already been achieved. The early extension of this policy to totara and matai was essential, particularly in the interest of rehabilitation housing, leaving rimu and insignis pine to meet the bulk of the war demands. After asserting that lack of knowledge of soils, ecology and silviculture in indigenous forests is serious and that this must be remedied by reorganization and concentration of staff, the report states: "As from next planting season, all interplanting with exotics and other silvicultural treatments on untended forests will be terminated and thereafter be concentrated on management units adequately and equipped to give a return commensurate with the expenditure and time given to the various investigations.” Such units are to be established on both commercial and protection forests and will be managed so as to provide not only sustained production of timber, but also the preservation of watershed. counter-erosion, recreational and scientific values.

Referring to tawa forests, the report states that tawa is the only general-purpose, fac-tory-use hardwood existing in sufficient quantities to make the Dominion independent of imported oak, beech, maple and elm. The tawa forests, therefore, merit much more attention than previously accorded them. A solution has been found for the problems of drying tawa and protecting it from insect and fungus attacks. "The demand for exotic timbers much exceeds the supply,” continues the report. “Assessment surveys and management plans for the older State exotic forests are being persevered with in order that a maximum yield of saw-logs may be effected at as early a date as practicable.”