New Zealand’s Forestry Policy.

Progress, Volume XIV, Issue 9, 1 May 1919, Page 503

New Zealand’s Forestry Policy.

Statement /by the Hon. Sir Francis Bell.

[An explanation of the Government’s forestry policy has long been awaited, as it was anticipated that the appointment of the Hon. Sir Francis Bell as Ministcr-in-Charge of State Forests would result in the adoption of an active programme. This official statement was made by the Minister to a Conference of Commissioners of Crown Lands in Wellington recently, and as it is of vital importance to the timber and building industries, we secured a verbatim report]

Gentlemen—The Honourable the Minister of Lands has been kind enough to grant me the opportunity of addressing this Conference of Commissioners of Crown Lands on the subject of Forestry in New Zealand. Every Commissioner of Crown Lands is by virtue of his office Conservator of State Forests within his district, and in regard to the administration of State Forests is guided by the direction of the Minister who holds the portfolio of State Forests, and it is therefore of public interest and advantage that I should have the opportunity of thus meeting you all in conference and explaining briefly the intentions of the Government. If in the course of my address to you I seem to define existing conditions which require no explanation to officers of the Department of Lands, you will readily understand the reason to be that my address to-day may possibly reach a wider audience. But it is not my intention to weary you, and possibly others, with a retrospect of the previous management of our New Zealand forests. You, and I together are concerned only with the present and the future; and it is with regard to the improvement of present conditions and the foundation of a policy for the future that I seek your co-operation.

Departmental Arrangements. Let me first remind you that the separation of the office of Commissioner of State Forests from that of the office of Minister of Lands began with ray appointment to the former office in November, 1918. It 'has not been considered advisable or necessary in the interval to create a distinct Department of State Forests, but a new office of Chief Officer of Forestry was created, and Mr Phillips Turner appointed to it. He is the official head of a sub-de-partment, and correspondence on forestry matters is conducted through him. It is the intention to establish a separate Department of the Government at a later stage, but there would have been great deparmental inconvenience if the complete severance from the Department of Lands of Forestry business had been suddenly effected after so lengthened a dual control. This matter of departmental control has been the subject of conference between myself and the Public Service Commissioner from time to time, and I wish to accept the entire responsibility for the postponement of the creation of a distinct department. There has been no 'friction' so far and no difficulty, in administration.

With lands which have been already purchased by private individuals from the Crown, the Department of Lands and the Department of State Forests have practically little concern. It may become part of the policy of a future Government to offer encouragement by State aid to private individuals and local authorities to plant timber trees on their property, and i'c may, and probably will, be necessary for the State to repurchase areas of land held by private owners for purposes of State forestry. With the exception of those two subject matters the Minister of State Forests is not concerned with consideration of private lands.

Timber “For Our Own Purposes.’’ It is with regard to the land the title to which still remains in the Crown, and to a certain extent with regard to lands still owned by Natives, that it has become necessary to make such provision for the present and the future as shall ensure for the people of New Zealand a constant supply of timber for their own purposes. I use the words for their own purposes” deliberately, and say that it is necessary to emphasise those words and their meaning. The export of New Zealand timber for use in countries outside New Zealand cannot continue in the ’ future as it has in the past, and it has already become obvious that as to some classes of timber no further licences can be granted to sawmillers without the condition that no timber sawn at the mill shall be sold for export. With regard to other classes of timber, for reasons which I shall state later, the process of prohibiten of export may be more gradual. I sincerely trust that those engaged in the milling industry will realise’ the positon, and that it may be found that there is ample room left in New Zealand for the profitable conduct of that industry without the aid of the foreign market. Apart from the actual shortage of supply for the wants of New Zealand which must result if timber is exported in the future as in the past, the high prices that can be obtained for our New Zealand woods in some markets outside our borders have so inflated the cost of those timbers in New Zealand as to increase beyond reason the price of timber, in New Zealand for all purposes.

I desire, therefore, your assistance in the foundation of a policy which shall as far as possible conserve for the use of the people of New Zealand both in the present and the future, such public lands now

covered with timber as are not required for land settlement purposes, and for the plantation of areas of open land which though not requred for land settlement purposes are suited for planting .and afforestation. And I first remind you that the expression “State Forest” includes only Crown lands which have already been proclaimed to be State forests under the State Forests Act. ' Such lands constitute only a small part of the area required. I am not .able to give the exact acreage of the' lands already proclaimed as State Forests, because the plans of the State Forest lands, the preparation of which began at the end of last year, are not yet fully completed. But approximately the area is 1,654,214 acres, but only about 1,464,000 acres of this area are actually under forest. Part, however, consists of forest on high mountain ranges, and, therefore, not commercially available for timber purposes, and other parts have been proclaimed to be State Forests for the purpose of providingrevenue for that branch of the Lands Department, •and consist of lands really suitable for, and required for, land settlement after the milling timber has been cut and removed. The land which has been proclaimed to be State Forest is, however, so far safe for the present, and the future in that it cannot be taken out of the control ,of the State Forest Department without the concurrence of Parliament.

Demands for Land. The serious and urgent problem for the Government arises with respect to the Crown lands covered with forest which have not yet been proclaimed to be State Forests. The demand for land for settlement, more urgent now than ever by reason of the requirements for provision of land for our returned soldiers, prohibitits the possibility of conserving all such forest lands for forest purposes, and we have, therefore, to accept as a maxim that where the land under forest is good and required for land settlement purposes, the timber must go and the land be cleared. 'Whether in such cases' the timber is burned or milled concerns the Lands Department and not the Department of Forests, for if the land is not to be used as forest land, the existence or non-existence of forest upon it is a matter of no moment to the Commissioner of State Forests. But in all cases where the land under the forest is not of the quality which I have just described, questions at once arise between the two Departments. In many such cases, and in all cases where the land is not of at least average quality I am quite satisfied that the best policy for New Zealand is to retain the land as forest, proclaim it State Forest, and deal with it scientifically for the provision of - timber, not merely for the present, but until the distant future. It is, I believe, demonstrable that forest land so held and used ,provides a constant employment for a great number of people per area than any other industry, but it would unduly tax your patience were I on this occasion to attempt that demonstration. I can only urge upon

you that this is the matter for your closest consideration, as it is that which creates my strongest anxiety— question namely, with regard to all these Crown lands covered with forest, where the line shall be drawn dividing the land to be opened for settlement from the land to be proclaimed as State Forest. That question can only be decided fairly and properly by the Commissioner of Forests recognising on the one hand the urgent demand for settlement, and the Minister of Lands and the Commissioners of Crown Lands on the other hand, recognising the future requirements of New Zealand, demand the retention of large forest areas under State control. The misfortune from my point of view is that, with some notable exceptions, the valuable timber trees of New Zealand stand on good soil rather than on poor soil.

It been suggested over and over again that the line of demarcation between land to be held as forest and land to be used for settlement should be forthwith approximately determined by rough survey, and that throughout the forest lands of the Dominion the line of demarcation should be shown by beacons and other defining boundaries. That process has been adopted in other new countries where the lands available' for settlement are in excess of the demand, and where for the present forest areas can be defined without conflict with the Department of Lands. But the conditions in New Zealand are entirely different, and in any case such a process of immediate definition of boundary by demarcation was impossible for want of labour during the war, and, even if begun, would have occupied so long a time as to be useless for all practical purposes. For that reason I proposed to Parliament last session the method which I had devised while Acting Minister of Lands of allowing any Crown Lands to be proclaimed to be provisional State Forests, leaving then the demarcation to be the subject of agreement between the two Departments whenever the Department of Lands considered that part of the provisional State Forests should be used for settlement purposes. Parliament granted that power, and already considerable areas of CroAvn land haye been so proclaimed and added temporarily and provisionally to the State Forests of the Dominion under my control. And I hope that much larger areas of Crown land will be so proclaimed from time to time, so that when the question arises whether such land shall be marketed the opportunity will be present to retain a large part of it for forest purposes. I do not know whether there is any precedent for this method, but I am satisfied that in- this respect alone the legislation of last session has laid the foundation of a policy of forest conservation, which, if adopted by future Governments, will" ensure the consideration by Forest authorities of every case Avhere land covered with forest is proposed by. the Lands Department to be used wholly for land settlement purposes.

Before I proceed to refer, as I must, to the other powers granted by the legislation of last session, I ask you to understand, that 1 am dealing to-day

with forests only in relation to the production of timber for commercial purposes. Scenic reserves, and bush preserved for climatic purposes or for river protection, are matters which come under a different head -of the duties committed to the Commissioner of State Forests. But with regard to rivers I desire incidentally to ask your consideration always of the possibility of preserving the bush in the headquarters of the sources of rivers and their tributaries, since such preservation is a method of avoiding serious floods in non-navigable rivers and,- conserving a constant flow in navigable rivers.

Export and Price-fixing Regulations.

The further powers conferred by the Act of last session have enabled the passing of two classes of Regulations. By the first class limitations have already been placed upon the export of certain classes* of timber, and power has been taken to fix the prices of every class of milled timber in New Zealand. I have endeavoured to proceed gradually in this matter, for it would have been unwise and unfair to abruptly interfere with the course of the milling industry already established. I have hadthe valuable assistance of the Board of Trade, the members of which have devoted constant attention to the intricate questions involved with the result that so far it has been possible to make the Regulations after conference with a representative Committee of the Sawmillers, lam afraid that there is a general idea that nothing has been done; but I believe that that idea has gained ground simply because neither the Hon. Mr Macdonald the Minister in charge of the Board of Trade, nor myself, has thought it necessary to make public announcements from time to time on the subject. The details of what has been done, and the steps proposed to be taken in relation to the prices of timber, are matters with which I need not trouble you at this stage. ‘

Under the second class of power granted by the Act of last session Regulations, have been recently made prohibiting the sale of standing timber, or the grant of licences to cut standing timber, without the consent of the Governor-General in Council, and I gather from numerous communications that, the effect of such Regulations has been much misunderstood. Huge areas of land covered with valuable forest are now held under cutting licences granted in the past. x In many cases the land under the forest is wholly unsuited for settlement. The miller is to go in and destroy, and what is left behind him will be barren and useless. ; Such cutting rights ought not to have been indiscriminately allowed in the past; the right to grant them must as a matter of public policy in the future be subject first to enquiry by the Government officials. The Regulations do not prevent any private owner from himself cutting or destroying the timber on his own land, and it is clear that a private owner who desires that others should mill his timber before his land is cleared would obtain the licence as a matter of course. The power of Native owners to grant

authority to destroy forest has, I admit, been thus limited, but in my view no undue interference with the Native right has been effected. The power of Wardens in mining districts to grant licences to destroy timber growing in many cases upon land which would be worthless for any other purpose has been curtailed to the necessary power to grant, cutting rights for mining purposes pure and simple. Against this there has been already violent protest, and I anticipate much further attack. So far as the protest is one voiced by the saAvmillers it' must be made plain that the policy is one that has been deliberately entered upon by a Government and will not be altered. So far as the protest comes from Local Authorities which have derived revenue from royalties upon all State timber, the question whether provision shall be made for that loss of revenue out of the Consolidated Fund has not yet been considered by Cabinet, and I am 'not in a position to indicate what will be the policy of the Government on that subject. But it would be absurd to contend that the forests of New Zealand are to be destroyed in order to provide revenue for Local Authorities. With regard to the operations which will continue to produce royalties from the milling of State timber (a matter separate and distinct from the reduction of such operations by the recent Regulations) I have not proposed any amendment of the law which grants a proportion of those royalties to Local Authorities, and have not in view the proposal of any such amendment during the coming session. But sooner or later the whole revenue from State timber must come to the Dominion Treasury to the credit of the State Forestry Account. Hitherto the cost of State Forestry has been almost entirely provided out of loan money. Loan moneys will still be required for some years for the acquisition of land and for planting operations. But ultimately the cost of administration should be provided out of the revenue derived from the forestry operations, and subvention to Local Authorities must come from the Consolidated Fund, that is to say, from , taxation, and not from the profit derived by the State from milling timber which is the property of the State.

Future Foresty Policy: Regulation — or State Mills? ■ I turn now from the consideration of the meaning and effect of the new powers granted by Parliament last session to a brief consideration of the present position and of the mode in which it is intended in future to exercise those powers and the powers originally granted by the State Forests Act. We have available under Section 32 of the Finance Act of last year power to raise money for afforestation purposes to the extent of £200,000, and you will be glad to learn that none of that money has yet been raised, and very little spent in anticipation of borrowing. It has been practically impossible during the war to obtain the services of a trained, educated, Director of Forestry, and even now I, believe there will be considerable difficulty in finding

the man we really want. We have in New Zealand a number of men fitted to fill offices in the Department of Forestry, but experience of modern methods,, and education in the scientific branch of forestry, are essential qualifications for the office of Director, and we shall probably have to seek applications for that appointment outside New Zealand. ■ The Public Service Commissioner has consented to recommend the exception from the Public Service Act of the office of Director in order that selection may be made, as in the case of professors at the University.

We have to bear in mind that there are two very distinct matters to come under our administration. The first is the conservation of existing forest areas, and the second is the plantation of poor land now bare of forest,- and I propose briefly to indicate what is proposed with regard to each of those distinct matters separately. First as to conservation of forest areas. In most of our forests any specific area comprises trees now fit for milling, and growing trees, some of which will in a brief course of time be fit for milling and some of which will grow [gradually into profit many years hence. The trees fit for milling may be milled for the present use of the people of New Zealand, and if confined to that use, the milling need not proceed at any excessive- rate. But the milling of the ripe trees must be so conducted as that no unnecessary injury is done to the growing trees. And further, planting operation of a minor kind must be carried on as the area is cleared of milling timber so as to provide by the young new-planted trees for the distant future of forest operations in that area. The nearly fit trees and the smaller trees which are already there and growing will provide for the coming years and for the less distant future.

No sawmilling licence should henceforth be granted for the cutting of timber upon land which is to be preserved as forest except upon those conditions. If the sawmillers will accept those conditions, they will find themselves provided with a long tenure for their operations within every area of their licence. But if the sawmillers will not accept those conditions, then the alternative must be faced of confining sawmilling to State-owned mills. We have already some State milling operations conducted by the Railway Department upon timber lands reserved for railway purposes, and I have made proposals to that Department, which I trust may be accepted, for the transfer to the State Forest Department of all the Railway milling operations. In any case I believe, it will be necessary to establish State sawmills in the Waipoua Kauri Forest.

I have been awaiting the publication by Mr D. E. Hutchins, of his “Report on the New Zealand Forests.” His great experience enables him to give advice upon such matters as fire protection which we shall doubtless accept for our guide. I conclude this brief reference to conservation of forest areas by reminding you that in this regard the question

of the age at which New Zealand trees attain maturity does not arise for consideration. As I have said on each area Ave have the trees actually growing to maturity, New Zealand timber trees selfsown and growing in their natural condtions, and we save those trees until their maturity whatever the period may he. Many of the trees are already of the age of maturity, and others are growing naturally to that age. For example, if the age of maturity be two hundred and fifty years, the milling operations will leave trees growing already of the age of two hundred years, and adless time will elapse for those trees to attain maturity than the time required by quicker-growing foreign plantations.

Quick-growing Trees. With regard to the second of our principal operations, namely plantation, we must remember in the present and the future that 'the land to he used must not be land which will be sought for settlement purposes, and therefore poor land, and further, we must have regard to climatic conditions. A considerable rainfall is essential to produce the growth of most of the quick-growing trees, and therefore, large areas of land which are considered by many persons to be fit for forest operations, because fit for nothing else, must be discarded • from our consideration. Then, again, we have to remember, that it is useless to plant trees for forest purposes unless they can be subsequently milled and used without a heavy cost of transit. Plantations of inaccessible hillsides are of no practical utility. I invite the Commissioners to advise me through the Minister of Lands of- areas which fulfil the necessary conditions and I hope to be able to establish on land so acquired in various parts of the Dominion nurseries and plantations of quick-grow-ing trees to provide in the very near future timber for commercial purposes. I will not enter here upon the question of the kind of trees to be planted with that object. In New Zealand we have come to believe in the Finns Insignis as the tree most quickly producing profit, but I observe by the latest English Report that English experts give the first place to the Douglas Fir, The subject is one upon which expert advice has been sought and is being acquired. There is at the present moment difficulty in securing the services of- men trained in nursery work and capable of directing planting operations. It is certain that we must contemplate an increase in the rate of remuneration of that class of Government employee if our planting operations are to be extended. I hope and believe that many returned soldiers will be willing to take up plantation work, but there are more vacancies than applicants at present. Replacing the Kauri. Upon one subject closely allied with both forest conservation and plantation I must add a few words. The Kauri grows largely on poor land. There are considerable areas, I believe, in the North of Auckland from which the Kauri milling

timber has been removed, but where there is a large number of self-sown Kauri plants, and also a large, number of younger Kauri trees unfit for milling. I hope that it may be found possible to bring under the control of the Forest department a number of such areas where an attempt may be made to reproduce the Kauri forests, partly by encouraging the growth of the trees already there and protecting them from fire, and partly by consistent planting of Kauri seedlings. Let us at least make the attempt, not only to conserve as Kauri forests the lands now remaining covered with such forests, but also to restore to the original condition of Kauri forest the areas of poor land which were originally covered with Kauri. Whether that effort be made for the benefit of the next generation, as some hope, or for generations 150 years hence, as more believe, it should surely be made. White Pine Export.

One last word as to the gradual disappearance of the White Pine, and the continued permission to export a percentage of that timber. You are all aware that the White Pine grows principally upon good land, and therefore upon land required for settlement, if it is Crown land, or upon land which the owner desires to clear, if it is private . land. Already I have had statements from settlers that if they are unable to have the White Pine timber milled, they must fell and burn it. It happens that, the White Pine can be used in Australia for purposes for which it has gone out of use here, became for some reason the borer does not attack it in Australia. There is, therefore, a market in Australia for White Pine for building purposes, and further, parts of the logs, which are regarded as refuse in New Zealand are used in Australia for various purposes. We cannot postpone the destruction of the White Pine, because the land under it is valuable, and to entirely prohibit the export would only have the effect of ensuring its destruction by fire. The timber is so valuable for butter boxes that it has always seemed most desirable to preserve it for use for that purpose as long as possible. But to effect that object it would be necessary to prohibit its rapid destruction, and that is impossible as against the urgent demand for the good land upon which it generally grows. There are areas, however, where the Kahikatea is largely dispersed among Eimu, and I trust that by withholding those areas from sale, and transferring them to the State Forests we may be able to continue the supply of White Pine for butter boxes to •New Zealand producers for some considerable time t longer. i- I think it necessary to allude to the fact that with regard to National Endowment lands the Law officers have advised that they cannot be proclaimed as Provisional State Forests because of the preceding statutory appropriation of their revenues. I think that this difficulty can be met by appropriate legislaion without unduly affecting the existing appropriation. The forest upon National Endowment

lands should certainly,. be conserved as least as much as the forest upon lands which have not been by existing legislation reserved for the benefit of the future inhabitants. ’ *

Finally, gentlemen, I want your help and advice. Everyone of you has far more experience than myself of the conditions and the difficulties. It is too much to hope or expect that there shall be no differences of opinion as we proceed to draw the demarcation lines between the lands to be transferred to State Forests, and the lands you will control for disposition to the public. But with the co-op-eration of the Minister of Lands, and your help, I shall trust that the benefit of the doubt may be given in every case to an addition to the lands under the control of the Commissioner of State Forests, where there shall continue to grow and be milled the timber required for the use of the people of New Zealand.