Two Department of Conservation employees from Wanaka have paid $3000 in costs after damaging Rata trees on Pigeon Island, Lake Wakatipu, in July.
Queenstown Lakes District Council parks manager Gordon Bailey said the damage was first reported by a tourist operator and inspection revealed that several large, dead limbs from protected Rata had been removed from the rock faces on the island, Mr Bailey said.
It was with "some disappointment" the men were Doc employees, but there was some "irony" in them gathering the wood not for personal gain, but for the hut owner on the island where they had stayed to observe and check on the buff weka, he said.
They were "highly experienced gentlemen who have served the district for many years."
"In their defence, they had considered that the removed limbs were dead wood, but both have acknowledged that taking the wood from a live tree is an offence. It was an unfortunate case of poor judgement on their part," Mr Bailey said.
Both men had paid the costs of the investigation and apologised to the council and to Doc.
Doc Wanaka area manager Paul Hellebrekers said he was sorry two of the department's staff had committed the act "due to a lack of judgement", which they "sincerely" regretted.
As well as being dealt with by the council, the two men had also been subjected to the department's disciplinary procedures.
As a result, "appropriate action" had been taken, Mr Hellebrekers said.
Mr Bailey said the council considered that was an end to the matter.
