FOREST RESERVE.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1921, Page 8

FOREST RESERVE.

SUGGESTED CURTAILMENT. OPPOSED BY EGMONT COUNTY COUNCIL. The question of cutting up for settlement a portion of the forest re serve round Mt. Egmont was referred to by a councillor at the meeting of the Egmont County Council yesterday. The matter was introduced by a circular from the Dominion Fedor :tcd Sa wmillers’ Association suggesting certain amendments to the Forestry Bill that was before the House.

Cr. O’Brien said that briefly the cir eular advocated curtailing areas set apart for forests in the interests of settlement. Egmont was intereste-d, inasmuch as they had a state forest within a few miles of Opunake. He referred to the Mt. Egmont Forest Reserve which, to' hie knowledge, contain ed some splendid pastoral and agricul tural country, and was so extensive that it should not be allowed to block sett l ? ment. There were large areas of flat land, quite dry, except for bright sparkling brooks. Two or three mile-' I ’could be cut oil the. reserve around the base of the mountain and be farmed properly, and yet sufficient area of State ■forest would be left further up. The I council should represent to the Government the necessity of cutting of! this I portion for settlement. The area was I not required for a san tuary of game, as there would be plenty of bush left for that. He declared that the timber left was useless for milling purposes. The chairman was opposed to any interference with the State forest. In ten or twenty years there would be no timber in the district. Other members opposed interfering with the forest. No action was taken.