Tumut Forestry Report

The Tumut Advocate and Farmers & Settlers' Adviser

18 November 1924

We are indebted to Mr. W. A. de Beuzeville, Forester, for the following items of news of local interest:-

The Forestry Dept. is connecting by telephone Greenhills State Forest with the Batlow Exchange, and Murgulderie State Forest with the Humula Exchange.

It is also having erected a network of telephone lines through Bago Forest, connected with fire look-outs for detecting and control of bush fires. Four patrols have been established on Bago and 40 miles of fire-break have already been constructed, while others are to be undertaken. The Bago Forest is to be cut up into four patrol areas, and strictly supervised.   One of the fundamental objects is to protect during the risky period of  fires about 4000 acres of young alpine ash on the areas cut over years ago by the sawmills.

The plantation at Murruguldrie now comprises 400 acres of chiefly pinus insignia, the most forward trees of the 1921 planting being 6ft. high.

There are ready for planting out on Bago 200,000 plants in the nursery, nearly half of which are oregan. The rest are various sorts of pines.

Re-afforestation work on the Jounama State Forest is going on well, where a start was made this year, about 25 acres: being planted with, pinus ponderosa.

The homestead block of 400 acres on Mr. Hugh Naughton's property at Yarrangobilly has been purchased by the Department for re-afforestatlon   purposes, and Mr. Richard Chave's block is, under offer to the Dept.

The Dept. is spending £7000 a year in this district alone in all the ramifications of its activities.