Oral Submission Presentation by Blake Foster - New Zealand ...

• use income from ETS to pay for mulching machines and scrub bar gangs to make buffer zones
and to eradicate juvenile wilding conifers as they grow among the planting of non spreading
species.
Blake’s conclusion to his MAF submission stated:
“New, non-traditional approaches to containment and eradication of pest species should be
allowed.
For example with wilding pines, changing from a standard policy of informal
forest management with a focus on eradication, to a new policy of structured forest monitoring
and replacement of existing wilding species with non-wilding ones.”
He wanted a move from a short-term focus on eradication of wilding conifers to a longer-term,
progressive series of steps that include initial containment, managed harvesting and replacement
of wilding species by non-wilding ones over decades.
“If this process is extended over a longer timeline there may be better chance of long-term
success plus the project might become self-funding if revenue from environmental services such
as carbon sequestration or commercial timber production was integrated into the management
plan.
The management at Pukaki Downs has spent considerable, time, energy, money and resources
over the years in consultation with other landowners, foresters, scientists, DoC consultants,
practical working people and independent business people who specialise in tree and forestry
management.
Through this process we have arrived at the conclusion that eradication of all wilding trees is an
unreal goal. We have seen first hand that in the face of this unattainable outcome many people
with a wilding pest problem simply stop trying to beat the odds and give up.
The biggest obstacle to wilding pine containment is an economic one. The enormity of the
problem,(which in most cases in the Twizel area was an inherited one, either from original
plantings from Lands and Surveys operations or from wind blown seed scattering), has reduced
landowners to despondency.
Millions of dollars are required to create change and landowners are well aware of their lack of
ability to effect such change. We have reached the conclusion of creating buffer zones around
existing wilding forests with fast growing, non-spreading tree species, while maintaining and
managing any new growth.”