featured image for Douglas fir felled early for wilding effect

Douglas fir felled early for wilding effect

20 January 2020

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) announced a contract for the harvest of Coronet Forest has been awarded to Mike Hurring Logging Ltd last week beginning immediately.

Established over several years between 1984 and 1996, Coronet Forest consists of 172.5 ha of Douglas fir and is a significant seed source contributing to the wilding pine problem on neighbouring indigenous tussock grassland.

QLDC manager Thunes Cloete is pleased to have a contract in place for the harvest, saying the work was an important step towards supporting ongoing wilding control works and safeguarding enduring landscapes in the district.

“The harvest will eliminate the substantial impact Coronet Forest’s seeds have on the surrounding land, and then we’ll see the return of a large area of our local landscape to native planting,” he said. “We acknowledge the harvest is taking place five years before maturity of the oldest trees. However, this operation will allow us to protect our local natural environment for generations to come.”

Additional information can be found here.

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