19

C— 3a

On the completion of this intensive investigation it will then be possible for the Forest Service, in co-operation with the industry and the public, to indicate to the legislative body, for incorporation into law, those desirable standards, principles of control, and regulations, such as — («.) Reports as to returns and costs of production and consumption; accounting systems; direct and indirect gains under regulation logging; dependable forest statistics. (b.) Control of timber-production in times of economic stress. (c.) Creation of machinery for the interchange of views and all fundamental differences. (d.) Public control to prevent forest-devastation and ensure continuous production of forest crops on lands which would otherwise be idle (where such might be necessary to establish forest industry on a permanent basis in harmony with public interest). STATE-FOREST EXTENSION There are, broadly speaking, four classes of forest in any country: these are —(1) Nationalsupply forests; (2) protection forests; (3) national parks, monuments, and recreational areas; (4) local-supply forests. Items (I), (2), and (3) arc of general interest; to the nation : all industries and all citizens benefit. Item (4) is of only local value, for it affects only that particular district in which it is situated. Apparently State-forest extension in the Rotorua district and in the South Island has been carried on with a view to supplying chiefly national and not local needs, and it was intended that from these planted areas should be provided the timber needs of the future. It is manifestly impossible at the present rate of planting, or at that rate which lias prevailed in the past, to satisfy by planting even the minimum needs of the North Island. Millions of money would be needed to establish the necessary area of artificial forest, and before many years had passed the taxpayer would have found that he was saddled with a national obligation such as exists to-day under the war debt. It is indeed very fortunate that the public have become tired of this system of ensuring future timber-supplies, for it is doomed to failure at the present stage of New Zealand's development, for the merchantable timber produced under this scheme at a high cost of production could not possibly compete with supplies imported from countries where virgin areas were being exploited. The writer therefore suggests that the major part of our interests and investments lie concentrated on the absorption of all indigenous forest areas, and the placing of these areas under regulated forest management. In this latter case the State is provided with a capital which costs very little in comparison with the artificially established forests. It is desirable, therefore, that provincial State-forest allocations be accelerated, and extended to the effect of withdrawing all public forest lands from disposal by sale or entry, providing at the same time for reasonable protection, and eventually for a regulative forest management. In the withdrawal of these areas local needs as well as national needs should be considered, as well as the needs of the forest industry and the obligation of protecting the property against destruction and devastation. After every area of actual or potential value has been allocated for forest purposes and the annual volume of increment has been determined, it will then be possible to compute with accuracy the deficiency which could be made up by aggressive planting. Your investigator suggests that caution should be exercised until fact replaces opinion and we know exactly what our indigenous forests will produce. 'Phis will take a matter of about five years. In the meantime the forest-management activities of this Service should be confined to — (1.) Demarcation and formation of preliminary working-plans of all the national-supply forests. (2.) Development of managerial plans for the protection of forests and for national parks, ofec. (3.) Development of an aggressive campaign for the extension of semi-public and private planting by public institutions endowed with forest lands, by county bodies, municipalities, industrial corporations, and private individuals. It should beto these agencies that the various communities should look to supply them with their purely local needs. State Plantations. With regard to State plantations, it is suggested that the following activities be carried on by this Service during the first quinquennial period : — (1.) Reorganization of the tree-planting division of the Service and the formation of a well-paid personnel. (2.) Preparation of definite plans of management for each forest unit, with construction of efficient fire-protection plans. (3.) Consolidation of certain forests to a maintenance basis. (4.) Planting concentration in certain definite areas where the industrial needs of woodconsuming industries must be met with timber-supplies. The following is proposed in this connection : — (a.) Plantations to be placed on a maintenance basis: Puhipuhi, Whakarewarewa, Conical Hills, Dusky Hills, Pukerau, Gimmerburn, Waitahuna, Dumgree, Galloway, Omarama, Raincliff, Te Kapo. (b.) Plantation forests to be consolidated and completely rounded out during the next five to seven years : Waiotapu, Kaingaroa Plains, Kaingaroa Plains West, Greenvale, Nascby, Balmoral.