New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association (NZDA) writes to you to express the Association’s opposition to the proposal for a Poteriteri Wilderness in Fiordland National Park. The proposal has been put forward by Federated Mountain Clubs – see FMC Bulletin, June 2008, pages 20-26. This wilderness would include the whole of Lake Poteriteri and its watershed, and is further to the east towards public access points than the South West Cameron Remote Experience Area, another possible wilderness.
A significant difficulty with St James is its difficulty of public ground access, because it is a montane basin surrounded by high mountains, and guarded in its lower reaches by formidable gorges. See also NZDA’s initial submission of 15 May 2009. NZDA strongly supports the DOC proposal of allowing a wide range of recreational activity in St James.
NZDA concludes DOC’s responsibility to implement GPNP Policy 4.3 (j) of encouraging recreational hunting in the Park has not been carried out adequately in this Review. NZDA asks that the proposals made in this submission be added to the Plan.
NZDA’s views in summary on future management of the St James block are
Summary:
1 CGPs and GPNPs: CMSs are primarily to implement General Policies especially the Conservation General Policy (CGP) 2005 and the General Policy for National Parks (GPNP) 2005. Where this is done in the CMS, the GPs that are being implemented should be referenced.
2 NZDA supports recreational hunting management of the deer herds on Stewart Island, something that is happening now, with the 2-3,000 recreational deerstalkers/year visiting the Island.
3 NZDA seeks recognition of the recreational and historic importance of the deer herds on Stewart Island, given that the herds’ numbers are controlled by recreational hunting at present, and opposes them being managed by DOC as wild animals to be exterminated.
4 NZDA strongly supports the work of the Rakiura Hunter Camps Trust in providing effective hunter huts to replace often untidy hunter campsites.
5 NZDA opposes WARO concessions because they undermine recreational hunting effort.
6 NZDA seeks de-gazettal of the small residual Pegasus Nature Reserve. The need for it has gone with the transfer of kakapo to Codfish Island and absorption of 80% of the Reserve into the Rakiura National Park.
7 NZDA proposes a conservation park for the eastern public conservation land, because of the increased recreational and tourist use DOC plans for the area.
8 NZDA opposes the remote experience zoning for the residual Pegasus Nature Reserve
9 NZDA supports an additional helicopter landing area at Homestead Hunters Hut, Mason Bay, and at other remote hunters’ huts.
10 NZDA supports a RHCT hunters’ hut being built at Upper Lords campsite.
11 NZDA requests that the ecosystem service provided by the wild deer on Stewart Island be included in the CMS.
The Draft CMS does not adequately detail DOC’s plans and strategy for the Waikato Region.
There is inadequate supporting data and information on the present situation, and almost no information on how the CGPs are to be implemented. Most statements in the CMS simply replicate the CGP, usually in more general terms. NZDA is disappointed at both the lack of information, and the lack of statements of intent on what DOC intends to do.
This lack of information provided in the CMS trivialises the consultation process.
In spite of this, NZDA is interested in working with DOC on improving the recreational deerstalking and pig hunting experiences for recreational hunters in the region, and encouraging recreational hunting.
NZDA is very disappointed with the inadequate information and policies set out in this Draft CMS, and especially its Forest and Bird propaganda inserts, and lack of desire to positively address recreational hunting, one of the major outdoor recreation activities in the BOP Conservancy.
Without objectives and policies specific to the Bay of Plenty Conservancy, the CMS is vague, incomplete and dishonest. Almost no information is provided on DOC BOP plans. It is not a public consultation on DOC’s intentions at all. This information must be provided. A second round of consultation, with DOC BOP’s intentions clearly set out, is called for.
This hearing was held at Kaikoura and was a useful hearing exercise. It was concluded that it was well worth presenting, and it was a valuable opportunity to interact with DOC Marlborough. Opportunities for nearby branches - Marlborough, North Canterbury, Wellington, Nelson, Hutt Valley, to hunt in the area (Clarence Valley). DOC South Marlborough has some people sympathetic to hunters.
Update on the status of the Whanganui National Park Draft Management Plan.
Revision of the draft management plan is currently taking place with issues raised in submissions being considered and worked through. This revision process is taking longer than expected, however we want to ensure that the plan is revised accurately and to a high standard.
Once revision has been completed the plan will be presented to the Taranaki/Whanganui Conservation Board for consideration. It is at this stage that you will be sent feedback on the points raised in your submission and a response as to whether they have or have not been incorporated into the revised plan.
The Rakiura Hunter Camp Charitable Trust concession application for ownership and ongoing maintenance of the existing ‘Rakiura Hunter Huts’ and associated facilities on Stewart Island has been completed.
The public notification phase of the concession application is a valuable part of the process in the consideration of concession applications by the Department. Through this process the Department has the opportunity to consider the public’s opinions on the commercial use of the areas under application. In this instance we received 85 submissions, 82 in support and 3 opposed to the intention to grant a concession.
The submissions and subsequent hearing provided the Department with a clear understanding of what the local community as well as recreational users spread across New Zealand and wider deem to be an acceptable request. The request being, that the responsibility of hut and camp maintenance over the next thirty years be untrusted to the Rakiura Hunters Camp Charitable Trust.
Following the above process a final report was drafted to the Decision Maker which included all written and verbal submissions along with applicant’s comments to the submissions. We advise a concession has been granted to the Rakiura Hunters Camp Charitable Trust for a period of thirty years.
Summary: NZDA makes the following points, which are enlarged on later:
1. Recognition for Stewart Island Whitetail deer herd within the National Park and CMS as a valued recreational resource, and not a species to be exterminated.
2. Retain and grow the Hunter Trust’s huts: Recognise the longstanding very high interest from recreational deerstalkers in Stewart Island, as a major user group. Recognise the financial contribution they make to the Region’s economy. The Rakiura Hunter Camp Trust, a volunteer hunter trust, has provided 16 huts already to replace initial untidy and rat infested tarpaulin camps – see before and after photos in the Appendix.
This is an important recreational service provided at no cost to DOC. Deerstalkers also manage the deer herd natural increase at no cost to DOC. NZDA supports the Trust’s request for an additional 5 Trust huts planned, some to replace untidy tarpaulin campsites. NZDA also supports more Camps Trust huts if a hunting need is shown.
3. Downgrade the residual Nature Reserve on the eastern boundary of the Park to scenic or recreation reserve, or conservation area.
Summary: NZDA is concerned, as are all recreationalists about the two outdoor recreation essentials:
a) Adequate public access to and across the Park
b) Conditions that do not spoil a rewarding recreational experience in the Park, without unduly compromising important native species survival
NZDA is disappointed that public access to the Park, and the adjacent Waitotara Conservation Area, has been reduced since the last Plan, or is intended to be reduced further. This Park is already one of the most difficult of access in New Zealand. Hunters also prefer motorised access (4WD, boat or helicopter) to take out animals harvested for food. Also taking out tracks and shelters discourages most recreationists from visiting.
Second NZDA seeks more appropriate conditions for encouraging recreational hunting, as encouraged by the new Conservation General Policy. NZDA wishes to work with DOC to encourage greater recreational take of recreational valued wild animals in the Park.
Summary: NZDA makes this submission in support of recreational hunters – big game and wildfowl hunters, and ask that the Plan be changed accordingly to allow their type of recreation, including food harvesting for the table.
NZDA opposes this draft Plan with its major exclusion or containment of many popular recreational activities, including recreational hunting. The Draft Plan sees the Park primarily as a preservation area, not a recreational one. This is unacceptable, in terms of the Local Government Act. Recreational big game and wildfowl hunting are traditional recreational activities in here since the earliest human habitations. NZDA strongly supports these traditional recreational activities continuing in the East Harbour Park. The Plan is only half the Plan it should be.
The purpose of Greater Wellington (GW) Parks is primarily to provide for the outdoor recreational activities of the Region’s population. Recreational hunting is an important recreational activity in the region, and as well provides food for the table, an important human right of all countries.
NZDA asks that the GW Council agree that this important recreational activity be allowed in the Park, and that the draft Plan be changed accordingly. Recreational hunters should have first opportunity to control the hunter-gatherer recreational resource in the Park. Only if they cannot exercise adequate control should ratepayers be required to pay for professional killers to do the work.
1. Long history of big game hunting in the Park area:
The Mt Aspiring area is historically an iconic one for Red deer and chamois, having had trophy deer and chamois in the area long before it became a national park. The area is well suited to wild Red deer and chamois, with both rugged forest and tops. Red deer liberations in west Otago date from 1871, from sires from Scotland. Chamois liberations in New Zealand date from 1907 in the Mt Cook region, in order to provide good hunting especially for tourists. Mt Aspiring National Park was established in 1964, over a significantly smaller area than it is now.
There is also a small herd of Whitetail (Virginian) deer established in the early 1900s in the Rees and Dart State Forest. They have not extended their range in that time. They are important as one of the two established Whitetail herds in New Zealand.
Himalayan tahr have been present in the Park area in the past. The current tahr management policy aims to restrict tahr to the northern side of State Highway 6. Only a small number of tahr are likely to be in this sector of the Park, as target densities for tahr here are low. Still some recreational hunting pressure can be applied eg in the Wills – Mt Brewster area.
There are many NZDA Branches around this Park, and all can hunt in the Park. Those within 300 Km include: North Canterbury, Ashburton, Malvern, Marlborough, Motueka, Nelson, Rakaia, South Canterbury, and West Coast.
1. Summary:
The brown kiwi sanctuary in Turere Stream will create a major conflict with current dog users of the Orongorongo Valley, one of the most used areas of the Rimutaka Forest Park. This is not the sudden discovery of native kiwi, and a consequent need to bring in protection. Forest parks are for the facilitation of public recreation and enjoyment.
It is a provocative move by DOC and the Trust to change the public use of this area. The clear outcome, if the Turere Stream kiwi release is successful, will be to prohibit all recreational dogs in the Orongorongo Valley. NZDA strongly opposes the proposed Turere Brown Kiwi Sanctuary, because of the direct conflict with current dog users in the area. Current use should prevail.
As a result the association's submission to the Kaimanawa Forest Park Review NZDA has received a letter of reply from the Tongaririo Taupo Conservancy advising that they have read our submission and can assure us that it will be taken into account during the preparation of the draft plan.
A further round of submissions will be invited once the draft if send out (around March 2005) and the association will have another opportunity to be involved in the review process at this stage.
NZDA will have the opportunity to present their submission to the hearing committee made up of Tongariro/Taupo Conservation Board members and departmental staff.
The Arthur's Pass National Park Management Plan (1994) is due for its ten-yearly review, under sections 46 & 47 of the National Parks Act 1980.
The Plan can be reviewed in whole or in part.
Persons and organisations are now invited to send in written suggestions which can include the following Address your issues such as: - huts and tracks facilities; aircraft activity; and 1080 aerial poison drops in the Hawdon Valley.