The Nature Heritage Fund has bought a Far North native forest block that is home to kiwi, wood pigeons and kauri snails.
The fund, which uses public money to buy private land offered by owners for conservation purposes, paid about $250,000 for the 430ha of forest, which includes kauri, in theMaungataniwha Range south of Kaitaia.
The block will be added to the Maungataniwha Forest which, together with the adjoining Mangamuka Gorge Scenic Reserve and Raetea Conservation Forest, makes up part of the Northland Forest Park.
The area was bought from a forest company associated with the Hanover Group and contains kiwi, carnivorous kauri snails, kukupa (wood pigeon), tomtits and a variety of threatened plant species.
A rare Northland native freshwater fish, the short-jawed kokopu, is also found in the river catchment draining the area.
It will be administered by the Department of Conservation.
