It’s that time of the year again when we ask all our member clubs to think about nominating someone for the Executive. It is a stimulating body to work with, bringing together people from right around NZ and dealing with a wide range of outdoor recreation related issues.

If you have skills in social media, administration, finance or a planning background then you would be especially welcome but we also need people who are club members and go tramping!

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On 13 March 2019, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced that 64,400 hectares in the Mokihinui catchment are being added to Kahurangi National Park. The official change in the classification of the land will take place on 11 April 2019. This is the largest addition ever of land to an existing national park in New Zealand’s history.

With other groups, FMC had long been lobbying for the Mokihinui to be given a higher conservation status as part of our Forgotten Lands campaign. A big thank you to the Minister for making this happen, and to the local conservation boards and Ngai Tahu for their support.

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FMC is supporting the NZ Canyoning Association to attempt to save this exceptional West Coast canyon from being de-watered by a hydro scheme.

A concession and resource consent were granted to Griffin Creek Hydro Ltd in 2011. This is before the canyon was first explored by canyoners in 2013. Construction never started, and in 2015 NZ Energy Ltd partnered with the concessionaire to drive the project forward. We understand that to make the scheme viable, NZ Energy Ltd have applied to double the abstraction rate from 1200L/s to 2500L/s and have the acceptable residual flow lowered from 800L/s to 456L/s.

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Manson Nicholls Memorial Hut on the shore of Lake Daniell in Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve will be closed for several months after Easter, as a new hut is being built. A shelter will be constructed to support camping while the hut is out of action, while the toilet has already been replaced.

No information about the hut closure is available on the DOC website yet. If you wish to know more, contact the Māwhera / Greymouth DOC Office, phone 03 768 0427, e-mail greymouth@doc.govt.nz.

Trips are the raison d'être of our clubs, and without a plan to ensure new leaders are developed, the very fabric of our clubs could be at risk. We asked a few clubs and organisations to get a snapshot of the situation at present and to understand how they are trying to tackle the challenges that face them. A very thorough resource on the topic is available through the Outdoor Community section of our Wilderlife.nz website and a brief summary will be published in the Outdoor Community column of the March issue of Backcountry.

The Auckland Baptist Tramping Club invites members past and present to Ngaruawahia, 13-15 September 2019 for tramping and celebrating the club's milestone. Visit the Wilderlife whats on calendar for more info. If you'd like your event on the calendar, get in touch and we'll help you make it happen.

FMC is only too happy to assist your affiliated club with advertising and promotion. Whether its your club lodge, a reunion, a special trip coming up or a great report on a trip just been, we can find space for it and share it widely. Advertisements for club endevours that make a profit (i.e. club lodges) are charged at 50% of normal rates in Backcountry magazine, but everything else is usually free! Contact dan.clearwater@fmc.org.nz to discuss the options available to your club.