Indigenous forestry on private land: Sustainable indigenous forest management in accordance with Part IIIA of the Forests Act 1949
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Published July 2007
Why is sustainable forest management important?
Forests are home to 70 percent of the world’s land-based animals and plants. They are renewable and ever-changing ecosystems.
New Zealand’s indigenous forests are complex and unique. Many New Zealanders live, work and play in forests. Our forests make a major contribution to our quality of life by providing:
- economic goods and services;
- soil protection and conservation;
- improved water quality;
- wildlife habitats;
- ecological diversity;
- carbon sinks and reservoirs;
- cultural resources;
- recreational opportunities.
Part IIIA of the Forest Act 1949 defines sustainable forest management 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.
What is Part IIIA of the Forests Act?
Part IIIA of the Forests Act 1949 gives owners of private indigenous forests options for managing their forests in order to harvest and mill timber.
It covers the sustainable management of indigenous forests and other harvesting options, and it places controls on the milling and exporting of timber from indigenous forests.
Part IIIA is administered by the Indigenous Forestry Unit (IFU) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Sustainable forest management and other harvesting and milling provisions
Under Part IIIA, landowners have four options for harvesting and milling timber from indigenous forests. Forests can be managed under a registered Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) Plan or Permit, or smaller volumes can be harvested for personal use or under a Milling Certificate.
SFM Plans and Permits
SFM Plans have a 50-year term and provide for the long-term management of a forest. A Plan includes details of:
- the owner(s) of the land;
- Certificate(s) of Title and land (legal) description;
- the forest’s resources (timber and others);
- the annual allowable timber harvest;
- management of the forest – for example, limiting harvesting impacts and ensuring regeneration of timber tree species;
- protection of the forest, such as controlling introduced weeds and pests, and protecting rare or endangered species;
- specific areas that may be excluded from harvesting;
- maps showing the forest area, forest types and areas excluded from harvesting, including reserves and river or stream banks.
SFM Permits have a 10-year term, but unlike SFM Plans, which have approved annual allowable harvest volumes by species, Permits are restricted to a maximum harvest volume over that time according to species groups.
The maximum harvest (standing) volume that can be approved is the lesser of:
- 250 cubic metres of podocarp, kauri or shade-tolerant, exposure-sensitive, broadleaved hardwood species and 500 cubic metres of beech or other light-demanding hardwood species; or
- 10 percent of the standing volume.
As with Plans, Permits require the protection of rare or endangered species and the control of introduced weeds and pests.
Before approving a Plan or Permit, the IFU must consult with the Department of Conservation, and also with Te Puni Kokiri–Ministry of Māori Development where the land concerned is Māori land. Once a Plan or Permit has been approved by the IFU, it must be registered against the land title(s) to which it relates. Once registered it is binding on the current and any future owners of the land until the term expires.
Under a registered SFM Plan or Permit the IFU must approve an annual logging plan for each year in which forest operations are proposed. An annual logging plan contains details of:
- the species and volumes to be harvested in that year;
- the area from which the timber is to be harvested and any special logging requirements;
- map showing topography, all waterways, tracks and landings.
The owner must keep records of all timber harvested.
Personal use
An owner of any land not subject to a registered SFM Plan or Permit may apply for approval to harvest and mill up to 50 cubic metres of indigenous timber (roundwood) from their land for personal use. The IFU must consult with the Department of Conservation prior to granting the Approval.
Other milling certificates
Certificates can be issued for milling indigenous timber such as windthrown trees, naturally dead trees and trees removed for the construction or maintenance of an accessway from areas not subject to a registered Plan or Permit.
Sawmill controls
All sawmills that mill indigenous timber must be registered with the IFU. A registered sawmill may mill any indigenous timber for which an approval has been granted. Registered sawmills must provide three-monthly returns of all indigenous timber milled.
Export controls
Approval can be granted for the export of sawn rimu and sawn beech timber provided the timber is sourced from a forest managed in accordance with a registered Plan or Permit. Stumps and roots (whole or sawn) and tree fern trunks and tree fern fibre may also be exported under the same conditions.
Stumps and roots salvaged from non-forest areas can be exported, but evidence of the source of the timber must be provided before approval for export can be granted.
Finished or manufactured indigenous timber products (such as furniture or turnery), whether assembled or in kitset form and regardless of the source of the timber, can also be exported. No approval is required for such exports.
Further information
For further information refer to the following publications (available on www.maf.govt.nz):
- Indigenous Forestry Sustainable Management - A Guide to Preparing Draft Sustainable Forest Management Plans, Sustainable Forest Management Permit Applications and Annual Logging Plans
- Standards and Guidelines for the Sustainable Management of Indigenous Forests
- Indigenous Forestry on Private Land: Present Trends and Future Potential
- Milling Indigenous Timber in Accordance with Personal Use Approvals and Milling Certificates
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 3401
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