Forest & Bird welcomes new Director General of Conservation

Forest & Bird today congratulated Al Morrison on his appointment as Director General of Conservation.

Forest & Bird General Manager Mike Britton says Forest & Bird has enjoyed a constructive working relationship with Al Morrison during his time as acting Director General and expects he will prove to be a staunch advocate for conservation in his new role.

“The Director General of Conservation has the delegated trusteeship of Parliament to act at all times in the best interests of conservation and the protection of our natural heritage. We trust that Al Morrison will be a worthy and leading advocate for the proper care and management of the public conservation estate.

“He is taking on the mantle of responsibility for the stewardship of New Zealand’s conservation taonga, and in particular the public conservation estate entrusted to the department’s care. We look forward to working with him in this vitally important role.”

Mike Britton also urged the Director General to tackle the serious threat posed to New Zealand’s native flora and fauna by introduced pests.

“If pest control is not dramatically increased in many areas of New Zealand, within 20 years the forests will be silent. We believe this is the most serious environmental threat we face, and urge the department to commit greater resources to meeting this challenge.”

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