Declaring Land to be Held as Ecological Area and Added to Existing Adjoining Ecological Areas West Coast Pursuant to section 63 of the Conservation Act 1987, the Minister of Conservation, declares that the areas of land described in the Schedule hereto, are hereby held as ecological areas under section 21 of the Conservation Act 1987, and the areas so held shall be added to and become part of the existing adjoining ecological areas. Schedule Nelson Land District Buller District Fletcher Creek Ecological Area Extensions 649 hectares, more or less, being areas ``A'' and ``B'', S.O. Plan 15262, situated in Blocks I and II, Reefton Survey District, and Blocks XI and XII, Inangahua Survey District. Coal Creek Ecological Area Extensions 1296 hectares, more or less, being areas ``A'' and ``B'', S.O. Plan 15270, situated in Block III, Reefton Survey District and Blocks VIII, IX, XII and XIII, Inangahua Survey District. Westland Land District Grey District Lake Hochstetter Ecological Area Extension 1380 hectares, more or less, being Section 2, S.O. Plan 12380, situated in Blocks VI, IX and X, Ahaura Survey District. Flagstaff Ecological Area Extension 527 hectares, more or less, being all the land shown as part Flagstaff Extension Ecological Area on S.O. Plan 11627, situated in Block XV, Ahaura Survey District. Deep Creek Ecological Area Extension 230 hectares, more or less, being Sections 2 and 3, S.O. Plan 12385, situated in Block XV, Mawheranui Survey District, Block XIII, Ahaura Survey District, Block III, Brunner Survey District, and Block I, Kopara Survey District. Card Creek Ecological Area Extension 185 hectares, more or less, being all the land shown on S.O. Plan 11625, situated in Blocks I and II, Hohonu Survey District. 1650 hectares, more or less, being Sections 1 and 2, S.O. Plan 12258, situated in Blocks XIII and XIV, Arnold Survey District, and Block I, Hohonu Survey District. Greenstone Ecological Area Extension 2030 hectares, more or less, being areas ``A'' and ``B'', S.O. Plan 11632, situated in Blocks V, VI, IX and X, Hohonu Survey District. Three Mile Hill Ecological Area Extension 88 hectares, more or less, being Section 2, S.O. Plan 12388, situated in Blocks IX and XIII, Hohonu Survey District. Dated at Maruia this 6th day of April 1997. Hon. Dr NICK SMITH, Minister of Conservation. Explanatory Notes The ecological area extensions are all held for conservation purposes to protect indigenous intrinsic natural values and resources, and ecological and evolutionary systems, and in particular to protect the values specified in these explanatory notes. Coal Creek Ecological Area Extensions protect a representative kahikatea-dominant forest-westland ecosystem, high quality lowland and hill country forest wildlife habitat, and an area of beech-podocarp forest on alluvium. Fletcher Creek Ecological Area Extensions improve representation of terrace forest ecosystems (especially unlogged forests) in the Fletcher Creek Ecological Area, and protect native forest bird habitats. Lake Hochstetter Ecological Area Extension protects podocarp-beech forests at the interface of beech and podocarp forests in the Grey valley and habitat for longfinned eels. Flagstaff Ecological Area Extension protects the upper catchment of a tributary of Flagstaff Creek featuring unmodified silver pine dominant forest. Deep Creek Ecological Area Extension protects an area of predominantly podocarp forest. Card Creek Ecological Area Extensions add to the size and long-term viability of the principal reserve as a significant wildlife habitat, improve its connectivity with other nearby forest tracts, and protect an area of predominantly regenerating forest. Greenstone Ecological Area Extension protects an area of predominantly regenerating podocarp forest, pakihi and beech communities. Three Mile Hill Ecological Area Extension protects an area of predominantly regenerating podocarp forest. (File: H.O. ECA 0002, C.O. Hk. 2.10.1.2)