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Part I is a statement in schedule form of all State forests in the several land districts, and accompanying it are to be found brief summaries of those areas in each district and their present condition, whilst statements by each Conservator of State Forests are attached, giving full particulars of the individual forests in his district under his charge, and periodically inspected by the Forest Eangers. Part II is specially devoted to the usual annual report by the Chief Forester, on the reforestation areas under his more immediate control, and regarding which he has, with his usual clearness, detailed the work done during the past year. Interesting maps are also attached, showing the locality of the various State forests and the timber they contain. William C. Kensington, The Hon. T. Y. Duncan, Under-Secretary. Commissioner of State Forests, Wellington. .
PART I. Summary of State Forests under the Control of the Conservators of State Forests.
Auckland District. The State Forests in Shis district cover 234,824 acres, comprised in sixty-one different areas. Out of this about 22,000 acres has been burnt off at various times, mainly through accidental fires spreading into the reserves, and some 7,650 acres have accordingly been grassed to enable the land to be used for grazing purposes, whilst 1,618 acres have been replanted, and will eventually become forest land once more. From the careful inspections that have been made from time to time, it would appear that about 126,000 acres of the forest contain timber suitable for milling purposes, and, as the result of continuous and pressing applications by the sawmillers, over 154,000,000 superficial feet have been sold on royalty to supply in some measure the increasing demand for timber in the North. It is now estimated that about 234,000,000 superficial feet still remain available for this purpose, and will be sufficient to meet the demands for some years to come. Although large quantities of timber have been so disposed of and otherwise destroyed, yet it is estimated that no less than 160,000 acres are yet in their natural state. This includes a considerable quantity of milling-timber suitable for disposal, and a fair proportion of land that will be available for settlement purposes when the timber has been cleared off the surface ; but, making allowances for this, there would appear to be about 90,000 acres suitable only for reservation for climatic purposes, as the land is too rough and mountainous to be utilised in any other way. Such forest areas will be of inestimable good in preventing the degradation of the soil, and retarding the rapid rise of mountain streams after a heavy rainfall, by absorbing the surplus moisture and allowing it to gradually percolate through the vegetation to the benefit of the lower-lying lands. Hawke's Bay District. The seventeen forests in Hawke's Bay comprise 222,936 acres, mostly in the Poverty Bay portion of the district or along the slopes of the Ruahine Ranges in the south. They are reported to be still in their natural state, covered with mixed forest, scrub, and fern. It is estimated that they contain over 200,000,000 superficial feet of milling-timber, and up to the present none of this has been sold or disposed of to the sawmillers, and still remains available for that purpose. Practically, the bush-fires have not encroached into the State forests, and, with the exception of a few acres on the outskirts, they are in a virgin state. Tree-planting has not yet been necessary in the district, and as most of the reserves are situated on the mountain ranges which form the backbone of Hawke's Bay, it is important from a climatic point of view to preserve them untouched. Being remote from the various trade centres, and comparatively inaccessible, there is not likely to be much demand for the timber in these forests for a long time to come.
Land District. No. Area of Forests. Area burnt I Area remainor ■ Area erassed Area ing in destroyed ' 6 ' replanted. Natural State (approx.). I (approx.). Milling-timber remaining. Acres. Acres. j22,111*1 152,8001) 1,000* Nil 3,433* j 500*) 1 1,120-1-) 310* 456!10,63111 1,000* f 350*1 I 4,8001) Acres. Acre?. Acres. Sup. Ft. Auckland 61 234,824 7,650 1,618 159,913 234,792,402 flawke's Bay... Taranaki Wellington ... 17 25 45 222,936 64,145 938,951 Nil "l23 Nil 221,936 64,145 935,518 205,000,000 77,160,000 41,480,000 Marlborough ... 2 25,260 300 23,640 91,000,000 Nelson Westland Canterbury ... 23 3 85 10 8,900 456 270,631 91,100 Nil tl 8,590 Nil 260,0001 90,100 27,393,000 10,000 Not given. 3,700,000 Not given Nil Not given Otago ir Southland 20 445,150 // 440,000| 62,723,700 Totals ... 2,302,353 291 98,511 8,073 1,618 2,203,842 746,259,102 * Burnt, t Dei itroyed. J About.
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