Clear-felling of the Cape Wanbrow plantation in Oamaru is nearing completion and it is hoped that at least part of the popular reserve will be open by Anzac Day weekend.
The Waitaki District Council decided to clear the 38-year-old forest after damage caused by two storms made it unsafe.
In June last year, heavy rain, followed by strong winds, brought down trees, leaving some hanging and a danger to anyone using the reserve.
The work was supposed to be completed by the end of last year, but pressure on contractors dealing with the results of other storms, including in Canterbury, had delayed the work.
While the pine trees were being cleared, others were being retained.
A draft landscape plan for developing the reserve, including the old gun emplacement and remains of the military camp from World War 2, has been developed by the council and is included in its draft Reserve Management Plan out for public consultation
