Prepared by

The recovery plan for the Otago skinks and grand skinks has taken a different path to recovery plans developed for other New Zealand threatened species. This acknowl-edges a fundamental difference between the species discussed in this plan and all other species recovery plans developed so far: all remaining habitats of the Otago skinks and grand skinks occur on freehold or Crown renewable leasehold land. Clearly, before proceeding with full public consultation over the recovery actions proposed for these species, it has been necessary to closely involve landowners in the development of the plan and to allay any concerns they may have about the actions proposed in the draft recovery plan. The first draft of this plan was developed in 1990 and the prolonged consultation phase has delayed publication until 1995. By this time, many of the actions outlined in earlier drafts have already commenced or concluded. It was felt by recovery group members that it was better to complete the publication of this plan rather than begin an extensive revision of the plan at this time. This would then provide the wider public with a review of the goals, objectives and range of actions needed to recover these species. The current plan will be reviewed in the next two years and a revised recovery plan will be produced by 1997