C.—3

16

Analysis of all Reported Forest-fires in State Forests —continued.

Fire Protection: Efficient Fire-break, Rotorua Plantation.

5. Forest Wild Life. Deer. All conservation regions report an increase in these vermin, and this Service again places on record its opinion that protection on all species of deer (except moose and wapiti) should be removed for a period of at least three years, and that payment of a bounty on. killed deer should be continued during that time. „ Protection has been removed from this pest on the State plantations throughout New Zealand, and during the latter part of the period under review the Service inaugurated a campaign for the destruction of deer on these areas. This included the payment of a bounty of 2s. per tail on all deer killed in plantations, the carrying-out of poisoning experiments, and the establishment of salt-licks for the purpose of attracting deer to places where they might be easily shot. Forest Service officers acting as receivers of deer-tails for the payment of bounty report the collection of 2,946 tails, of which 2,001 tails were received at Tapanui from the vicinity of the Blue Mountains, Otago. Opossums. The returns for the 1926 opossum-trapping season disclose an increase in both the number of trappers' licenses issued and the number of skins upon which royalty was paid. The share of license fees, royalties, &c., credited to the State Forests Account was £4,679 135., an increase of £605 17s. lid. over that of the previous year. Y ar Number of Number of e ' Permits issued. Skins taken. 1922 .. .. .. .. 381 54,357 1923 .. .. .. .. 679 109,905 1924 .. .. .. .. 462 95,639 1925 .. .. .. .. 720 145,778 1926 .. .. .. 1.051 157,480

Cost of Protection, Prevention, Detection, and Control of State Forests. J Origin of Forest-fires. Forest- j ; i i ; I 1 i conservation tire-patrol Fire . SawmMing Travellers, Land- IT „ krl „ w „ Region. - Wages Cost. equipment cost Total Cost. Opera- Trappers, clearina A«encie? ™en) J | Cost. j tors. jSportsmen. Operators. ° £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Auckland 9 « _■ 742 0 0 . . 48 0 0 790 0 0 .. .. 2 2 Rotorua .. 9 §£ 726 11 6 .. 24 13 6 751 5 0 .. Wellington 2 || 129 8 9 0 1 3 j 29 12 4 159 2 4 .. .. I 2 Nelson-Marl- 2 -go 256 15 8 32 0 0 29 15 10 318 11 6 . . . . 1 I borough 9 g Westland .. 5 £§ 62 0 0 .. . . 62 0 0 .. Canterbury- 17 °§ 641 7 9 .. 56 19 0 698 6 9 .. .. .. 1 Otago .2 2 Southland.. 4 j' 146 3 6 .. 41 18 2 191 1 8 .. j .. 3 Totals 46 .. 2,704 7 2 32 1 3 [ 233 18 10 2,970 7 3 .. .. 4 9