A Guide to Preparing Draft Sustainable Forest Management Plans, Sustainable Forest Management Permit Applications and Annual Logging Plans
Options for harvesting and milling indigenous timber
Under Part IIIA of the Forests Act any indigenous timber from privately owned indigenous forest may be milled as long as it is harvested and milled in accordance with:
- a registered SFM Plan; or
- a registered SFM Permit; or
- the other milling provisions listed in the Sawmill Controls section of Part IIIA of the Forests Act.
You may harvest indigenous timber from land that is subject to a registered SFM Plan or SFM Permit. Harvesting may be undertaken either annually or periodically, and it must be at a rate that is no greater than the forest’s ability to replace the harvested timber. At the same time, the forest must retain its natural values and ability to continue to provide a full range of products and amenities in perpetuity. The management of the forest must protect the forest’s flora and fauna through the control of pests and weeds, and through the maintenance of soil and water quality.
Sustainable Forest Management Plans
Any forest owner may submit a draft SFM Plan to MAF for approval. SFM Plans normally have a minimum term of 50 years.
MAF will examine the draft SFM Plan and may approve only a level of timber harvest that can be sustained. The approved harvest rate will depend on the area and type of forest, the forest’s location, and the growth and replacement rates of the species to be harvested. See Sustainable forest management plans for more information on preparing a draft SFM Plan.
Sustainable Forest Management Permits
Any forest owner may submit an application to MAF for an SFM Permit. An SFM Permit has a term of 10 years.
Within the term of the Permit the forest owner is allowed to harvest and mill capped volumes of timber. While an SFM Permit can be applied to a forest of any size, it is ideal for small forests that may not justify the resources required to prepare a draft SFM Plan.
An SFM Permit application requires less information than a draft SFM Plan, but MAF must still be satisfied that the proposed harvest volume is within the limits set in Part IIIA of the Forests Act. See Sustainable forest management permits for more information on applying for an SFM Permit.
Milling
Timber harvested under an SFM Plan or SFM Permit may be milled at any sawmill that is registered to mill indigenous timber.
Other milling provisions
For information on the other milling provisions in Part IIIA of the Forests Act, see Milling Indigenous Timber in Accordance with Personal Use Approvals and Milling Certificates (MAF, 2007).
“Owner” and “landholding”
In this document the terms “owner” and “forest owner” refer to the person, company or other body that owns or has rights to a landholding. MAF uses the Forests Act’s definition of “landholding”, being “an estate, right, title or interest of any kind in or over an area of land by which indigenous timber may be harvested”.
Contact for Enquiries
Indigenous Forestry Unit
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
NEW ZEALAND
Tel: 64 7 921 3400
Fax: 64 7 921 3402
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