QEII Trust members reappointed

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry today announced the re-appointment of two members of the Queen Elizabeth ll National Trust.

“I’m delighted Chairperson James Guild (MNZA) and Director Bruce Wills have agreed to stay on the board and continue the excellent work underway as the Trust celebrates its 40th anniversary,” Ms Barry says.

“Both men will serve another 3-year term and use their considerable skills and experience to ensure the Trust continues to win support from landowners willing to covenant their land for future generations.

“New Zealand’s covenanting landowners are making a remarkable contribution to our goal of protecting our landscape and becoming predator free by 2050.  To date, the Trust has registered over 4,225 covenants protecting more than 166,700 hectares.

“Recent research from Waikato University’s Institute for Business Research shows an estimated $25 million of covenanting landowners’ own money is being spent annually on protecting native species, forests, wetlands and other unique landscapes,” Ms Barry says.

The Government provided $1 million over 3 years to support the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy initiative in New Zealand. This funding has enabled the QEII National Trust to extend its network of covenants over native forest on private land.

“The Trust is doing incredible work in supporting these partnerships to deliver huge gains for conservation across the country,” says Ms Barry.