Plans are afoot to stop wilding pines advancing further to the West Coast, which will involve a $1.4 million project in Queenstown this summer, focusing on Ben Lomond.
The Wakatipu Wilding Conifer Control Group (WCG) will hold a community briefing of planned eradication work on Monday ahead of the programme.
WCG co-chairman Peter Willsman said some of the work would focus on the wilding forest above Fernhill suburb where wildings had been creeping for many years.
''Without some containment work the wildings will conquer almost all of Ben Lomond's natural grandeur.''
Mr Willsman said the control operations would not only remove wildings in some areas, they would reduce the spread of wilding tree seeds into other areas.
The work would be complete through the WCG by the Department of Conservation, funded by a range of partners including the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Doc, Skyline Enterprises, the Central Lakes Trust, Lotteries Commission, Land Information New Zealand and landowners and managers.
At Fernhill, wilding control work had been carried out for many years using ground control, but more needed to be done.
''It has now got to the stage where the new seedlings and infestations are uncontrollable using manual methods and the spread is moving up on to the ridge top and the seed is being blown over on to Ben Lomond Station and the Five Mile.
''The plan this year is to create a containment along the top of the wilding forest, bringing the trees down off the ridge line.
Douglas fir, the main species in the area, would be controlled by aerial boom spraying
Answer herbicide from a helicopter. There would be a 250m buffer from dwellings.
Mr Willsman said the herbicide would not affect grasses or tussocks, was not toxic to birds and had low toxicity for mammals.
After spraying it would take two years for the trees to die.
The operation would be carried out before the end of February.
The public meeting will be held in the Skyline lounge at 6pm on Monday.
