Permanent Forest Sink Initiative Guidelines
Harvesting
PFSI forests can be harvested on a continuous canopy cover basis.
Continuous cover forestry harvesting
Continuous cover forestry harvesting under the PFSI encourages the development of an uneven-aged forest structure through the progressive harvesting of individual trees or small coupes of trees. The regulations require that harvesting shall retain a minimum of 80 percent of the pre-harvest basal area on each hectare for the first harvesting operation. For subsequent harvesting, either a minimum of 80 percent of the existing pre-harvest basal area on each hectare or 80 percent of the previous pre-harvesting basal area on each hectare (whichever is the greater) is required. Basal area is the sum of the cross-sectional area (m2/ha) of all of the trees measured at breast height (1.4 metres above ground on the uphill side of the tree). It is a relatively simple measure to perform.
An example of how the continuous cover forestry harvesting provision will work is depicted on the graph below.
• Forest is established at year 0, thinned to waste at year 7, and then harvested at regular intervals from age 25.
• Harvest removals (per hectare) do not exceed 20 percent of basal area.
• At age 25 with a starting basal area of 76m2, 14m2 was harvested.
• Harvesting cannot take place again until the BA of the forest (per hectare) reaches 76m2.
• Basal area reaches 77m2 at age 33 and another 20 percent is harvested
This pattern of harvesting occurs every 7 to 8 years until the total forest is replaced after 5 to 6 harvesting events. It is assumed that replanting or natural regeneration occurs after harvest, and that this growing stock adds to the total basal area.
Natural disturbances
The PFSI Regulations allow case-by-case exceptions to the continuous cover forestry requirement that may be considered in the event of natural disturbances.
Removal of harvesting restrictions
If the Kyoto Protocol no longer allows units to be generated from the forest, then the covenant may be terminated and all harvesting restrictions would be removed. However, landowner will need to meet any emissions liabilities for any units that may have already been claimed.
All harvesting restrictions are to be removed 99 years after the covenant has been registered. However, obligations to account for liabilities, should they arise, remain. Local planning rules under the Resource Management Act may apply to harvesting operations.
Penalties
Landowners who deliberately breach the harvesting restrictions (that is, harvesting outside of the allowable limits) will be required to ‘replace’ units (carbon units) for the carbon dioxide released, plus make a penalty payment. The penalty payments will be additional units calculated on the basis of an annual compounding rate of 10 percent applied to each year’s units received, commencing from the earliest year in which the units were generated.
Penalties are only payable for breaches of the restrictions on harvesting and NOT for carbon stock changes as a result of events such as fire, disease or windthrow.
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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