As part of a protection programme to mitigate the spread of kauri dieback disease, three Bay of Islands' forest tracks will be closed for up to six weeks to allow Department of Conservation (DOC) staff to complete the work.
The Kerikeri River Scenic Reserve, Puketi Nature Trail and Opua Kauri Walk are three of around 200 tracks from Tauranga north with kauri that DOC says are in need of protective action over the next three years.
The Bay of Islands' work is a collaborative effort between the Ministry for Primary Industries, DOC, councils, iwi and community conservation groups, and the district's tracks are the first to receive special treatment.
"The wet and muddy nature of sections of the tracks in this region enhance the risk of users spreading the spores," said DOC northern North Island operation manager Sue Reed-Thomas.
NZ Track Works will lay geoweb (a plastic membrane webbing that allows the roots to grow through while reducing mud and the risk of spore cross-contamination) in the three tracks initially and eventually in seven of the region's tracks in total. Bark, sterilised by steam-cleaning, will be placed on top of the geoweb and some boardwalks will be upgraded.