Totara Forest

Two Protected Management Areas lie within the Totara Production Forest area these include Makahakaha Stream Bush, PMA ref -WR44, 57 ha and Totara Station Bush, PMA ref- WR41, 30 ha. Several additional high value non-production indigenous forest remnants are also located within the forest.
Juken New Zealand aims to protect extant indigenous forest values within the five separate forest remnants at Totara Forest. Pest Management has been underway at this site for some time and sustained long term control of key pest species would be highly beneficial and protect these very valuable assets. This mosaic of mature forest remnants provides an extremely valuable and rare seed source for the upper Waimata Catchment as it contains a range of representative mature podocarp forest species, including, matai, kahikatea, pukatea, miro and beech not found elsewhere within this catchment. The Gisborne community is investing a considerable effort to protect and restore the Waimata Catchment at present. The protection of these forest assets and the biodiversity within them, i.e. long tailed bat, contributes in a significant way to the community effort already in place and supported by Gisborne District Council and the Department of Conservation.