Newsletter No. 2 - March 2009

www.soundsrestoration.org.nz

DOC, Council and landowners get behind wilding pine control
Further wilding pine control will be possible in the inner Queen Charlotte Sound this year, thanks to generous support from the Department of Conservation and local landowners.

DOC has provided $22,500 to the Trust, and local landowners have also donated or pledged $34,600 for control.

The Marlborough District Council has also made provision in its Annual Plan to provide $22,500 to the Trust for its wilding pine control programme, which will be subject to community consultation during April/May and final approval through the Council’s community plan.

These funds have been used as the basis of funding applications to the Canterbury Community Trust and the NZ Lottery Grants Board, with the aim of increasing the total programme spend to $176,000 (GST excl) in Inner Queen Charlotte Sound this spring.

If the applications are successful, this will see control undertaken in the Bay of Many Coves, Blackwood Bay, Dieffenbach Point, Kahikatea Bay, Whatamango Bay, Onahau Bay, Torea Bay and Double Cove this year.

The Trust expects to be advised of the outcomes of its funding applications in April and June respectively.

2008-09 programme complete
The Trust’s 2008-09 wilding pine programme in Inner Queen Charlotte Sound was fully completed in February, with a contractor felling trees that had been excluded from poisoning, such as around power lines.

DOC’s Sounds Area Office also assisted, providing a boat and staff member to poison about 80 isolated trees that had been missed during initial control.

The areas treated were Bull Head, Ruakaka Bay, Ruakaka-Blackwood Bay headland, Blackwood -Kaipapa Bay headland, Torea Bay-Double Cove headland, Puroa Pt headland and the coastal faces between Kahikatea and Whatamango Bays.

Poisoned trees between Monkey and Kahikatea Bay

Some facts and figures of the first year programme are:

Finally, a big thank you to all those who helped make the programme such a success, including NZ Lottery Grants Board (Environment & Heritage Fund), Biodiversity Condition Fund, NZ King Salmon, Department of Conservation, Marlborough District Council, Orion Crop Protection and many landowners.

Ruakaka Bay
The Trust has left a small stand of Pinus pinaster in Ruakaka Bay, which it was unable to control during the 2008-09 programme.

The approximate cost of completing this work is about $2500 - $3000 (GST excl), for which the Trust does not have a budget at present.

If you are interested in helping us to complete this stand, please contact Trust Chairman, Andrew Macalister, at info@soundsrestoration.org.nz or 027 622 8135.

Wilding conifer workshops
The South Island Wilding Conifer Management Group is holding a workshop and field day on wilding conifer control at the Linkwater Hall on Thursday 9 April, 10am – 4pm.

The event is free and open to all, demonstrating the ‘best bet’ techniques for wilding management and control in the Sounds. The Wilding Conifer Management Group has been a great source of advice for the Trust, and the workshop should be very useful.
For further information, contact DOC’s Phil Clerke at 03 520 3002 or pclerke@doc.govt.nz.