Recommended conservation land use of the West Coast Region, South Island, New Zealand

2 maps; glossary of terms; 5 tables; 18 photos; 22 refs Available from Technical Information Office, Water and Soil Division, Ministry of Works and Development, PO Box 12041, Wellington

The aim of the survey was to assess the land resources of the West Coast region apart from minerals. Broadly, the method was to categorise the land according to physical factors and to recommend uses which are suitable for the land in each category and which are consistent with conservation. From the resulting maps and the acreages reported in the tables, it should be possible to prepare a regional plan, after taking economic and social factors into consideration. Field work for this report was carried out between November 1968 and September 1969. Aerial photographs were used for the field survey and on these were mapped soils, slope, extent and type of erosion, and land use or type of vegetation. Most ground inspection was confined to areas where vehicular access was possible. South of Fox Glacier, however, inspection was by means of helicopter, landing for ground inspection at suitable representative points. The data obtained were transferred to base maps, from which the maps presented with these report were produced