C—3

8

Analysis of all reported Forest-fires on and contiguous to State Forests.

Offences under the Forests Act and Regulations. Four prosecutions against offenders were instituted during the year and convictions secured in each case. One conviction was for a small timber trespass, two for illicit kauri-gum digging, and one for lighting a fire without a permit in a forest-fire district. Wild Pigs and Goats. The Departments of Lands, Agriculture, and the Forest Service joined financial forces last year to make a beginning at reducing the number of wild pigs in the Whangamomona County (Taranaki Province). As a result of this contribution the Service undertook the operation of the campaign, and through the payment of Is. per snout to the local settlers 4,781 pigs were destroyed. It is recognized that this assistance is helpful in assisting the farmers of the region to deal with this pest, and it is proposed, to considerably extend the grant in order to deal with other badly infested areas. In other forest areas — e.g., in the Orongorongo —goats have become well established and are doing definite and serious damage to the vegetation of this attractive recreational and protection forest. With a view to decimating this vermin permits to carry firearms in the forest were granted for this reserve, and it is hoped that by this means the number of goats in this popular Wellington rendezvous will be appreciably lessened. Deer. Subsequent to the conference of representatives of Government Departments and acclimatization societies, held in Wellington on the 11th April, 1923, to consider the question of deer-control, district officers of the Departments of Agriculture and Lands were interviewed, and with their assistance areas in which it was considered deer were too numerous were demarcated. Maps showing these areas were then prepared, and where possible the acclimatization societies concerned were interviewed, and the proposal to remove protection from the demarcated areas was fully discussed. Subsequently the data were forwarded to the Department of Internal Affairs for action, and in every case protection was removed from the areas recommended. Aggregated, these areas total some 11,250 square miles. Following the recommendation of the Department of Internal Affairs, a subsidy of £1,000, to be paid as a bonus on deer destroyed, was voted by Cabinet and distributed among acclimatization districts on a pro rata basis, according to the number of deer estimated by the Forest Service to be in each district. The effect which the removal of protection and payment of a bonus will have in reducing the deer is as yet too early to state in figures, but the general opinion among landholders in the districts recently visited is that the depredations will be greatly alleviated and much good will result.

Forestconservation Region. Nui detc Til iber Land turned, •Veres.) Forest-I Ires: Cut-o-bi (A dumber, Character, i ver Land Scrub irned. burr .ores.) (Aci Land led. res.) md Area. Total burnei (Aci Wo i icy Valuo >f For :est-w< table owth. :alth destroyed. Total Value. mber scted. I ( I Area i over. tea.) More Tl shantablc imber. Valu Regrc S.F. Priv. S.F. Priv. S.F. Priv. S.F. Priv. . S.F. Priv. S.F. £ Priv. £ 1,019 537J 600 258 S.F. £ Priv. £ S.F. Priv. £ £ .. 1,013 74 562^ 721 1,0634 2J 258 S.F. £ Auckland .. Rotorua . . Wellington Nelson-Marl-borough Westland .. OanterburyOtago Southland 4 1 2 5 2 6 11 3-5 5 1-5 1,530 327 34 66 1,170 3,296 13,670 4,560 5 35-5 460 248-6 3,127 7,273 16,313 7,190 39 39 531 250-2 5,827 10,896 29,983 12,540 10 li 624 1 25 463| '7* 72 £ 2J 792 5 4 3 20 100 114 25 150 114 170-5 25 137* 100 20 20 ioo 20 4 2 30 160 866 175 896 170 900 170 170 900 Totals 25 24 2,779 374 23,587 899 33,903 1,318 60,304 209J 3,408J 4884 272| 272| 3,897 634 Forestconservation Region. Cot of Prol Sec ction, Prevf ention, Detectic and Control ot S ltrol of Si State Fores ;ate Foresi Origin it Fori sst-flre II, Fire F IS (No. < 'atrol :ce. Men.) Wages Cosl Fire t. Equipment Cost. Locomotion Coat. Total Co; it. Sawrn Opi toi illling iraTrave Trap] Sport; slier!: pera smei Li clei Opei I5&. Unk > lown icies. rs. £ s. d. 744 19 1 1,308 9 7 154 9 8 187 15 5 £ s. d. £ s. d. 81 0 0 77 0 6 59 1 8 103 10 2 £ 8. d. 825 19 1 1,460 13 4t 213 11 4 291 5 7 S.F. 1 Priv. 3 2 8 S.F. Priv. S.F. Priv. 93 44 145 141 S.F. 3 1 1 2 Priv. 12 128 4 10 luckland lotorua .. Wellington felson-Marl-borough Vestland .. lanterburyOtago southland.. 7 13 4 8 4 13 ii §i If ■sa w OS "3 > o o ffe 81 13 8 493 19 7 101 9 2 29 2 9 16 6 6 110 16 5 510 6 1 i 1 1 1 2 5 2 1 2 4 3 1 I 84 7 8 30 14 7 115 2 3 4 3 18 2 Totals 50 3,055 14 8 101 9 2 396 16 2 3,528 17 5 6 13 2 3 11 443 14 157 * The numbers Include all fires r< sported whethi ir in State fore: rt or not. Includes £75 3s. 3d. fi >r labi >ur.