Seven Facts about Sustainable Rimu Logging.
Wednesday 3 May 2000.
Press Release from Ian James, Scientist and Researcher, Okarito.
Seven Facts about Sustainable Rimu Logging.
Could you please broadcast this to the widest group possible. I want
the stakeholders and decision makers to have the following seven basic
facts during this debate.
Seven Facts about Sustainable Rimu Logging.
1. Okarito and Saltwater Forests are Reserves for sustainable management
purposes gazetted in 1984.
2. Over 80% of Okarito and Saltwater Forests have been already logged
either by helicopter or ground methods. They retain conservation value.
3. Native bird abundance has been recorded in a study area of Okarito Forest
since 1985. In the 18 months since the area was subject to sustainable
logging and predator control, counts of all native birds have increased
by 20% over previously recorded years. Counts of korimako and tui have
increased by 28%, toutouwai by 50% and kereru by 115% (based on a sample
of over 2500 individual 5-minute counts).
4. There are approximately one million rimu trees in the two forests.
No more than 1,298 are removed each year.
5. All trees removed are direction-felled to minimise damage and lifted
from the forest by helicopter.
6. Rimu seedlings are planted where natural regeneration is wanting.
7. Sustainable management has been operational for seven years and
independent audit reports are available on the Timberlands website.
Ian James
Okarito
Ian James is a scientist and co-owner of a nature tourist business. He
wrote the management plans for rimu sustainable management and has a
continuing involvement in their implementation.
His philosophy of rimu sustainable management is based on two guiding
principles: "take the worst first" and "what is left in the forest is
more important that what is removed."
Private Bag 777 HOKITIKA.
okarito@minidata.co.nz
The image below comes from the "Green Monitor"
series of web-pages published by Timberlands West Coast Ltd.
