GUARDING A NATIONAL ASSET

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 13, 9 April 1952, Page 1

GUARDING A NATIONAL ASSET

In the annual report of the New jZgalanid Sta^te Fores/t Serviice for the year ended March 31, 1251, there is a n appendix setting forth the number of convictions under the Forestry Statutes and tregulations. It may be news to some people that unlawfully entering a State Forest is an indictable offence. In the year under review 26 persons were corivicted under this head with fines totalling £69, and costs and damages, £15 3/-. "Unlawful cutting and removal of forest produce" cost 14 persons £68 in fines, and £205 6/- in costs and damages ; "Unlawful hunting 'in State Forests left 10 people the poorer of £43, plus -£5 10/- in costs and damages. Two people were oaught lighting fires v without authority, and fined £2, costs £1. For "lighting fires without authority within 1 mile of State forest, thereby endangering forest produce;*' eight were fined £9, with costs and damages totalling £178 9/6, Operating an engine without efficient spark arrester cost 2 persons £5, with £7 10/- in costs and damages. Failing to fight a fire in a State forest is an offence. Fines £4, and costs and damages £10 6/- were imposed in 4 persons under this charge. Other offences, such as failing to fight in a rural fire district (such as Taupo), lighting a fire without taki-ng precautions to preveht it sp'reading, cost 12 people a total of £15 in fines, and £45 in costs and damages. It is satisfactory to note that the State* Forest Service is now armed with adequate legal authority to enforce the' safety precautions, and ' is enforcing it as a warning and deterrent. "The protecti-on of New Zealand forests from fire" States the Director ' of the State Forest Service, Mr Entrican, "started with the setting asid'e ,of many millions of acres of indigenous forests as State forests, scenic reserves and national parks. The second stage was the establishment of an etfective and Dominionwido , £ ire-f ighting organization, the development of fire-hazard predaction, the passing of the Forest and Rural Fires Act, 1947, and the Forests Act, 1949, and the issuing of the regulations under the authority of two Acts. The programme for the third stage is to make comparable advances in the field of publicity and public' relations. A Pieasure of success has already been achieved. The idea of forest protection is now generally accepted by ordinary responsible citizens; but while nearly every one realizes the danger of fire in exotic forests, the dangers to indigenous forests are not so generally understood. Steps have therefore been taken towards setting up an advisory committee under the Forests Act to advise the Hon. Minister of Forests on educational and publicity measures, and the support of a number of national organizations is assured. "The ultimate objective of publicity may be described in a comoarison between forestj-fire conditions in New Zealand and Scandinavia. The fire protection of forests in Scandinavia is very much lcss costly than in New Zealand, mainly because the people have such a traditional respect for forests as to have developed a certain forest sense as a part of ordinary com-mon-sense. In New Zealand, on the

other hand, there is a tradition of land-clearing to make farms, and most of the people in ihe cities are out of touch with forests and forestry except for accasional holidays in forested districts. The boaidaries between farming and forestry can, howeve.% if drawn fairly dafinitely; so it should be practicable lo establish the idea of for,ests as more or less permanenlt areas set aside for a sustained yield of timber, the protection of river catchments, and the preservation of the characteristic beauties of New Zealand forest landscapes.