Nelson Regional Forestry ETS Meeting
16 October 2007
Key Themes
Introduction: These key themes are a record of points raised by participants at the meeting – they are not the consensus of the participants.
• Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in general:
• Interest in international linkages and the unit price if demand exceeds supply (and price skyrockets).
• Concern about potential shortfall of units globally.
• Question about potential restrictions on forestry-based AAUs (Assigned Amount Units).
• Interest in effects on Landcare's EBEX21 scheme.
• Post 1989 forests (voluntary participation in ETS):
• Query about the option of harvesting then not replanting until after all forest carbon has decayed, THEN reforesting to gain credits from that point.
• Suggestion of putting forests on leasehold before 1 Jan 08.
• Concern about catastrophic carbon loss from forest fire, windthrow etc.
• Pre 1990 forests:
• Desire for more transparency about the timing issue of allocating/post-dating units.
• Generic points:
• Inequity between pre 1990 and post 1989 forests regarding deforestation costs. Suggestion of 50ha exemption for ALL forest owners.
• Note that forest management will change to encompass wood AND carbon values.
• Interest in recognition of carbon retained in harvested wood products.
• Questions about getting information about the credit/liability status of blocks of land.
• Information on the title would avoid 'failure to disclose.'
• Difficulty of getting rational land valuations for private transactions until the ETS settles down.
• Point that third parties responsible for deforestation could include councils, which may have implications for, say, required setbacks.
• Implications of some district plan rules regarding planting/ replanting.
• Pre 1990 indigenous forests in the ETS:
• Receiving a lower free allocation would not comprise a level playing field between indigenous forest cf exotic forest.
• Would devalue indigenous forest land more than exotic forest land.
• There is also interest in regenerating indigenous forest.
• Methodologies for carbon measurement:
• Question about encouragement for measuring carbon stocks accurately.
• Accuracy of the first measurement is critical.
• Afforestation Grant Scheme (AGS):
• Interest in regional councils' potential role, tendering criteria and the species list.
• Permanent Forest Sink Initiative:
• Questions about definitions of forest and eligible land, and consequences for managing various types of forest.
Contact for Enquiries
Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change
MAF
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 CLIMATE (254 628)
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