Thank you for your ongoing concern for the Maitai River. We are writing to encourage supporters to provide input into the Nelson City Council's Draft Nelson Plan (formerly the Resource Management Plan) and Nelson City's 2021-2031 Long Range Plan. These are two different planning exercises that will play a major role in the future of Nelson.
The biggest threat to the Maitai River is erosion from the thousands of hectares of pine forests that dominate the catchment. The large clear-felling of pine forests allows significant rain events to erode the steep hillsides with most of that soil ending up in the river (and subsequently Tasman Bay).
Friends of the Maitai has been advocating for a reduction of pine plantations within the catchment. We are calling on the Nelson City Council to significantly reduce its pine forestry and move to a regenerative continuous canopy forest model. We have examined the issue both from an environmental protection perspective and an economic perspective. On both counts, pine forestry fails.
We ask you, if you can spare the time, to please attend one of the Long Term Plan consultation sessions or make a written submission expressing your opinion that the Council should transition away from pine forestry within the next ten years. The links for both plans and the consultations taking place are found here:https://shape.nelson.govt.nz/
Donations welcome
Our website can now accept donations for those who would like to make a monetary donation towards the work being done by the Friends of the Maitai. The donation application is located in the How To Help page found at http://friendsofthemaitai.org.nz/how-to-help/. The donations are administered by Give A Little who take no commission and supply receipts to donors.
