By Skara Bohny. Source Stuff, link to full article here
Volunteers advocating for a healthier Maitai River are calling on the council to improve forestry regulation to help the river.
Steven Gray spoke to the council on behalf of Friends of the Maitai (FoM), a group of residents who have spent five years volunteering and assisting the council in efforts to improve the overall health of the Maitai river.
Gray said the FoM were “very happy” with recent efforts at the Maitai by the Nelson City Council (NCC) in the Project Maitai Mahitahi, like the removal of barriers to fish, riparian planting, and restoring Groom Creek wetlands.
However, while he said these were all significant and praise-worthy steps, Gray said there was still much to be done, particularly with regard to pine plantations.
“While we have made it easier for fish to move upstream, and we know more about the health of the river, the hard yards towards making the river healthier are still ahead of us,” he said.