In 2004, Birchwood Station, in the Ahuriri Valley, was sold by the Williamson family to the Nature Heritage Fund for $10 million.
Described by then Conservation Minister Chris Carter as one of the ''jewels''of the high country, the 23,783ha property became the the centrepiece of the Ahuriri Conservation Park, which was officially opened the following year.
Nine years into Department of Conservation management, North Otago Federated Farmers organised a trip to Birchwood to have a look around the property. Different opinions to its management were aired along with calls for collaboration between farming and conservation, as agribusiness reporter Sally Rae reports.
Conservation and farming need to work together to look after the land.
That is the message from scientist and ecologist Dr Peter Espie, who believes grazing should be ''looked at very carefully'' as a management tool for conservation.
Dr Espie, who has done a lot of work in the Ahuriri Valley over the years, was involved in a grassland survey at Birchwood Station nearly 30 years ago. What was now seen on the property was ''totally different'', he said. And, on a gloriously sunny day, in the picturesque valley, near Omarama, Dr Espie told those present that the trend was of ''real concern''.
On a river valley fan, where those touring the property gathered, there were 18 native species that were no longer there and fescue tussocks were ''on the way out''. Most of what was there now comprised introduced species.
The Department of Conservation was charged with the responsibility of how best to manage the biodiversity values of the grassland. So, one thing it had to take into consideration was the ecological impact of introduced species, he said.
Without grazing, tall vegetation grew and smothered small native plants. Grazing, in itself, was a ''double-edged sword'' but what was not appreciated was the positive benefit it could have in maintaining biodiversity and conservation values.
Dr Espie urged those who made policies and land-use decisions to ''think very, very carefully'' about the role of grazing as a positive conservation tool that could help maintain biodiversity.
The latest research showed hieracium species would kill native species and eliminate short tussock. They reduced indigenous biodiversity.
Grazing management was the only tool he knew of that could be applied to stop the rate of spread of tall hieracium, which only spread by seed.
One solution to combat that was strategic grazing involving conservation and farming working in partnership.
The science at Birchwood was ''absolutely crystal clear'' - native plants that were there 30 years ago were ''just not here''.
Others questioned Department of Conservation Twizel area manager Rob Young as to why grazing was not continuing at Birchwood.
Before its purchase by the Nature Heritage Fund, the Williamson family, who had farmed it since 1942, were running about 350 beef cows and 6000 merino sheep. The family continued to graze sheep on the lower valley of the station for a five-year transition period.
Bruce McNab questioned why conservation had to be ''totally exclusive'' of livestock and why some degree of compatibility could not be found.
Mr Young said the Conservation Act was quite specific about grazing and policies associated with that.
Any grazing had to have conservation management benefits.
The Crown paid $10 million for the property to maintain it under the Act and as a conservation park. The expectation out of that was that grazing would cease.
''That's why they paid the money for it really, to change the management. Otherwise, why would you pay all that money to carry on as before?''Asked about potential fire risk and what provisions Doc had to pay for fighting fires and protecting other properties, Mr Young said fires were ''about a whole lot of elements''.
The biggest one was about being prepared and ''doing the reduction stuff'' around education and having prohibited fire seasons.
In his time working in conservation - 34 years mostly in mountain land management - he had only known of two fires started by recreational users.
It was also about being prepared to ''get out and deal to those fires'' and there were firefighters and also a Twizel-based helicopter crew. In areas that were used intensively, like around the homestead, land had been mown and grazed.
''It's about reducing the risks and educating the people that come here that fire is a risk and generally people are doing the right thing.''