Sustainable Management of Private Indigenous Forests
The legislation
The Forests Act 1949 (Forests Act) was amended in 1993 to bring an end to unsustainable harvesting and clearfelling of indigenous forest. The amendment, Part 3A, covers the sustainable management of private indigenous forests. It provides owners options for managing their forests in order to harvest and mill timber, and it places controls on the milling and exporting of timber from indigenous forests. 
Sustainable forest management
Sustainable forest management is defined in the Forests Act as "management of an area of indigenous forest land in a way that maintains the ability of the forest growing on that land to continue to provide a full range of products and amenities in perpetuity while retaining the forest’s natural values." The sustainable management of New Zealand’s indigenous forests will provide benefits to society and conserve biodiversity for generations to come.
Under the Forests Act, indigenous timber can only be produced from forests which are managed in a way that maintains continuous forest cover and ecological balance. Management systems must ensure that the forests continuously provide a full range of products and amenities, in perpetuity, while retaining the forests' natural values. Only single trees and small groups of trees can be felled for timber production.
Other provisions
There are also provisions for milling minor quantities of timber where a plan or permit is not in place e.g. naturally dead, windthrown or salvaged timber, or timber approved for harvesting and milling for an owner's personal use.
Controls on sawmills mean they may only mill logs of indigenous species sourced from forests managed according to sustainable management plans or permits, or other approved sources.
Administration of Part 3A of the Forests Act
Part 3A is administered by the Sustainable Programmes directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Sustainable Programmes approves sustainable management plans for all indigenous production forests. More specifically, Sustainable Programmes:
- approves forest management plans and permits;
- approves annual logging plans;
- registers sawmills to mill indigenous timber;
- issues milling statements for timber not sourced from plans or permits;
- approves indigenous timber notified for export;
- monitors and enforces compliance with the Forests Act.
Forest under Sustainable Forest Management
Currently there are approximately 50,000 hectares of indigenous forest being managed under nearly 50 management plans, with an allowable annual harvest of 78,000 m3 standing volume. The number of permits changes, but typically there are about 400 registered permits at one time. They produce a range of timbers for use in furniture and speciality areas. Approximately 250,000 hectares of indigenous forests have the potential to be sustainably managed.
A register of current SFM management plans is available here. [PDF 241K]
Carbon forestry options for new indigenous forests
As a part of a suite of government initiatives to combat climate change, there are three carbon forestry schemes designed to encourage the establishment of new forests (both indigenous and exotic). Forests must be established since 1 January 1990, and be “direct human induced … through planting, seeding and/or the human induced promotion of natural seed sources”.
Two of the carbon forestry schemes provide the opportunity for landowners to earn revenue from the carbon sequestered by their forest (the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme and the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative). The third provides a grant for forest establishment.
More information on these schemes is available at: www.maf.govt/sustainable-forestry
Publications
Information
- Indigenous Forestry on Private Land - Sustainable Indigenous Forest Management
A brochure providing an overview of sustainable indigenous forest management in New Zealand. - Milling indigenous timber in accordance with Personal Use Approvals and Milling Certificates
A brochure introducing Milling Certificates and Personal Use Approvals to harvest and mill indigenous timber in one-off situations from areas that are not subject to registered Sustainable Forest Management Plans or Permits.
Guidance
- A Guide to Preparing Draft Sustainable Forest Management Plans, Permit Applications and Annual Logging Plans
A guide to help owners of indigenous forest prepare Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Plans and Permits, and Annual Logging Plans, for the harvesting of indigenous timber on private land. - Standards and Guidelines for Sustainable Management of Indigenous Forests Fourth Edition, September 2009
Standards and criteria for the approval and administration of Sustainable Forest Management Plans and Permits that meet the requirements of Part 3A of the Forests Act.
Forms
- Annual Logging Plan
PDF [196K]
Word [484K] - Sustainable Forest Management Permit application
PDF [52K]
Word [267K] - Personal Use
For applying to harvest or mill indigenous timber for personal use.
PDF [19K]
Word [118K] - Other Timber
For use when applying for a Milling Certificate to mill indigenous timber not sourced under a plan or permit.
PDF [21K]
Word [105K] - Register a Sawmill
For use when applying to register a sawmill milling indigenous timber.
PDF [33K]
Reference
- Estimation of Standing Volume for Indigenous Tree Species [XLS 323K]
Standing tree volume tables for rimu, tawa, beech and kauri. Reproduced from "Tree Volume Equations for the Major Indigenous Species in New Zealand", New Zealand Forest Service Technical Paper Number 67 (JC Ellis, 1979). - Indigenous Forestry on Private Land: Present Trends and Future Potential - MAF Technical Paper No 01/6 [PDF 80K]
This paper discusses trends in indigenous timber production and value from all sources, projects timber production from sustainable management of private indigenous forests, and its potential future value. - Development of Māori Owned Indigenous Forests - MAF Technical Paper No 2003/4 [PDF 753K]
This paper assesses the indigenous forest resource on Māori land with sustainable timber production potential. There is a significant resource with considerable economic worth, and large areas of regenerating forest.
Contact for Enquiries
Sustainable Programmes
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
14 Sir William Pickering Drive
PO Box 20 280
Bishopdale
Christchurch 8053
NEW ZEALAND
Tel: 64 3 943 3700
Fax: 64 3 943 3701
Te Papa Tipu Innovation Park
99 Sala Street
PO Box 1340
Rotorua 3040
NEW ZEALAND
Tel: 64 7 921 3400
Fax: 64 7 921 3402
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