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Inspectors will be responsible for the activities of, and must also organize, their respective divisions. The reorganization is still proceeding, and it is obvious that additional senior officers, both technical and clerical, will be required. •The demand for building-timber, which is as acute as it was during the war periods necessitates the continuation of many timber-control functions, and the duties attached to these must be assigned to senior officers. 24. Field and Office Inspections.—The reorganization effected in Head Office, referred to in the previous paragraph, has retarded field inspections. Timber-control activities have been supervised by visits to each centre, and commercial schemes conducted by the Forest Service have been subject to regular field reviews. Assistance has been given other Departments in special inspections with respect to land use, nasella tussock control, erosion control, and other matters. The appointment towards the end of the year of a full-time office examiner will allow the regular review of each conservancy office, and the newly appointed investigational staff has permitted special investigation, particularly of the costing of commercial and Service activities. 25. Conservancy Organization.—Progress in the setting-up of minor territorial charges within conservancies has been deferred until next year, but actual charge positions have been advertised through the usual channels. Staff-training activities are playing a foremost part in developing sufficient young officers to replace older officers who have been promoted or to fill new positions. 26. Inter-departmental Co-operation.—lt has been found vital to the development of the Forest Service that greater attention be given to publicity and promulgation of Forest Service policy to other Departments. To cope with the demands of expanding activities, increases in both finance and staff are required, and Treasury, the Public Service Commission, and the Commissioner of Works have all interested themselves in the new projects, as well as in a general review of existing projects. Commercial relations with other Departments have remained on an excellent footing. CHAPTER lII.—CONSTITUTION OF STATE FORESTS 27. Changes in Area.—The area set apart as permanent and provisional State forest during the year was 45,028 acres and the area withdrawn from reservation was 3,637 acres, a net increase of 41,391 acres. The area under State forest reservation now totals 9,167,609 acres, representing 13-81 per cent, of the total land area of the Dominion. Of this area, 6,204,757 acres, being 67-69 per cent, of the total State forest' area, are permanently reserved. A withdrawal of 14,600 acres for scenic purposes in 1945, previously unrecorded, and a discrepancy in last year's figures of .49,000 acres have reduced the aggregate area under reservation by these amounts (see Appendix I). 28. Changes in Status. —Of the total area withdrawn from State forest reservation,. 644 acres were required for scenic purposes, and the remainder, 2,993 acres, for settlement. CHAPTER IV.—FOREST MANAGEMENT 29. Surveys. —Topographical surveys were carried out over 3,140 acres and foresttype surveys over 843 acres. In connection with timber appraisals, boundary surveys of 169 areas, totalling 19,430 acres, were completed; and for ,the reconnaissance of timber resources, 11 areas, comprising 14,495 acres, were surveyed. Six hundred acres of managed forest were subdivided into compartments. Engineering surveys for the purposes of village and housing sites were made on 12 areas. The large programme of aerial surveys being undertaken for the purpose of the national forest survey, assessment surveys, &c., has not progressed as satisfactorily as could be desired as, owing mainly to unfavourable weather conditions, the contractor

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