What the People Say...

341, 160 New Zealanders signed the Maruia Declaration petition, seeking an end to the logging of virgin forests (except in Westland) by 1978. And in January this year, a small but courageous group of people climbed the tall trees of Pureora and successfully blocked the logging of the last remnant of forest in an area which has been sought by the Wildlife Service as a reserve ever since 1971. The public support they received was tremendous.

Most North Islanders now want to preserve their remaining forest, in its manifold richness, believing that it has very much to offer future generations People sense too that the native forest and its wildlife has a right to exist.

What about the people who work in the sawmills? The map above shows that the native forests which need to be saved are located close to large plantations of exotic pines — the largest in the southern hemisphere, in fact. If the Government can't find enough pine logs to take to the sawmills in place of native logs then it isn't trying hard enough.

The first loyally of a sawmill worker will naturally be to his job and his family Despite this many workers are unhappy about the continued desecration of the forests The Maori people of the Pureora district, including the Barryville sawmill workers, held meetings during the Pureora protest. They decided to ask the Prime Minister to supply exotic logs to their sawmill instead of logging more native forest their elder Pakira Tutaki telegrammed the Prime Minister: "Too much of our heritage has been lost my people do not want to cut any more native trees at Pureora".