Wilding pines threat, funding on agenda

Otago Daily Times

11-06-2025

The rise of a new villain and a lack of funding are two challenges facing a trust dedicated to removing wilding trees in Northern Southland.
The Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust hosted a hui in Lumsden last week to discuss the challenges facing the trust.
Those attending included Southland District Mayor Rob Scott, district councillors, trust members and Department of Conservation and Environment Southland staff members.
The trust was formed in 2006 to deal with the spread of wilding pines in the Mid Dome area.
The Mid Dome project area surrounds the Cupola and Mid Dome ranges, and comprises an area of 68,602ha about halfway between Invercargill and Queenstown.
Trust chairwoman Ali Ballantine said during the last volunteer day the trust held to remove wilding trees she had been surprised to see how many Douglas fir seedlings were growing.
While seeds were being dispersed from existing plantations the problem could get worse as more trees were planted for carbon farming, Ms Ballantine said.
There were few rules to hold those planting trees accountable for the spread of seeds that caused the problems, she said.
Something needed to be done to stop the planting of species in inappropriate places.
"This problem is not going away — it's going to bankrupt us."
Environment Southland biosecurity plants team leader Jolie Hazley said she had seen the numbers of wilding Douglas fir trees increase rapidly in the past 10 years.
Wilding Douglas fir could be found throughout Northern Southland as wind carried the seed. Some were growing up to 14km from the nearest seeding trees, she said.
Trust member Geoffrey Young said if the trees were allowed to keep growing it would lead to a "very real biodiversity loss".
The trees could grow at altitudes of up to about 2400m.
"You would have virtually no high-altitude tussock country anywhere in the country."
Where land was grazed the seedlings would be eaten off but higher up there would be nothing to stop the trees taking over, he said.
Ms Ballantine said the trust had made good progress in eliminating Pinus contorta and Pinus mugo but its work was being affected by a cut in funding.
If the group had received the same level of government funding as in the past the task would have been completed by 2033, she said.
"With a couple of years of inadequate funding, we're on the back foot again."
Trust member Richard Bowman said it made economic sense to finish the job now.
"A dollar spent today is going to save you $90 50 years down the track because you get on and fix the problem."