Figure 2: Public Conservation Land north of Waihi (shaded red) showing the Otahu Ecological Area (outlined in blue) and the southern Coromandel ecological district boundaries (purple). 2.3 ECOLOGICAL VALUES The Otahu Ecological Area was gazetted in 1976 “for the purposes of protection, maintenance and management of trees and other plants, and for the protection of native wildlife and for scientific purposes consistent with the proper use and management of State forest land.” The entire area proposed for management has not been surveyed and knowledge about the ecological values of particular areas varies. In 1984 the New Zealand Forest Service reported that the Maratoto Block of Coromandel Forest Park was home to a variety of animals of conservation concern including kōkako, Hochstetter’s frog, North Island brown kiwi, kākāriki, long-tailed bat, Rhytida snail and paua slug. Some of these species might still be present and others could realistically be returned to these forests, provided that pests can be reduced to a low enough level and these low numbers can be sustained.
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