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

Recommendations
On Pukaki Downs it is recommended that:
• All wildings be removed in the near future from the upper Twizel river catchment
(blocks 25-29), except in the most densely forested areas in the eastern margin of
that area (blocks 9-13 plus 19).
• All wildings should also be removed from block 29, although planting it with a less
spread-prone species is an option.
• All wildings be removed from the steep slopes of the Rhoboro Range in the most
north-western part of the station (block 30).
• All wildings be removed in a 20m strip along the northern boundary with Ferintosh
station and in a similar strip alongside SH80.
• If finances allow (last priority) all wildings be removed from the steeper eastern
scarp slopes (northern portion) of the Little Rhoboro Hills (block 20 and steeper part
of 14).
• Improved pasture and associated grazing (and/or arable cropping) be maintained
where it is currently stopping wilding establishment - blocks 31 and 32 (both sides of
SH80) and further to the west in parts of block 25). The north-eastern margin of
block 31 would run out from the northern margin of DOC’s Dusky Reserve in order
to maintain a treeless pasture margin.
• Replacement plantings of less spread-prone species, such as radiata pine, its
hybrid with Knobcone pine (P.radiata x P. attenuata) or ponderosa pine, be carried
out along the eastern margins of the cleared areas in the upper Twizel river valley,
either as 4-row marginal plantings along the western edges of blocks 9, 12, 13 and
19 (if retained in contorta pine), or as whole block replacement.
• Replacement plantings of less spread-prone species, such as radiata pine, its
hybrid with Knobcone pine (P.radiata x P. attenuata) or ponderosa pine (minimum
of 4 rows), could also be carried out along the western margins of the lakeshore
contorta pine forests in the south-eastern part of block 32. This will not be
necessary where ponderosa or Corsican pine make up the current margin, or where
adjacent pasture cover and grazing pressure is sufficient to stop significant
establishment of wildings.
• Replacement plantings or fertilising be carried out in the 20m marginal strips along
the Ferintosh boundary (top of blocks 16 and 24) and alongside SH80.
• Marginal strips (4 rows wide) be planted along the fenced north and western
margins of the tree-less pasture-dominated block 31.
• Blocks 9-24 (the pink and pink-striped areas on the map), including the corridor
north of the Dusky Reserve between blocks 21 / 16 and 17 / 22 – 23, will become
the containment area and could be managed for carbon storage. Initially, the
dominant species would be contorta pine, but over time the aim should be to
replace these with less spread-prone species.
• Wilding removal sweeps be carried out before coning age (no more than 4 years
apart) on all cleared or otherwise tree-less areas.
• Long-term planning be initiated to ensure that the above to be implemented.
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