Voluntary measures and sustainable land management
A number of educational programmes such as Conservation Week, Trees and Forests Week and Arbour Day are run in New Zealand, focusing on various aspects of sustainable land management. Schools have been encouraged to address environmental issues in their curricula.
Three important accords have been reached between the forestry industry, the conservation movement and the government to protect environmental values. In two of these accords the industry and the conservation movement settled long standing differences with government support. One accord commits its signatories not to clear natural forest.
A New Zealand Forest Code of Practice had also been developed by the forest industry to address environmental issues associated with forestry, particularly relating to water, soil and landscape values. Most of the larger planted forest owners have voluntarily adopted this code and apply it to their management operations.
The emergence of Landcare groups is another key voluntary measure to assist towards achieving sustainable land management. Landcare is a response to land management problems based on community values and community actions. Landcare has been adopted in Australia, British Columbia and elsewhere. The approach is based on acceptance that ownership of land management problems must rest with the people on the land. At the same time it recognises that a partnership approach between landowners, local and regional communities will best sustain natural resources. Landcare in New Zealand receives very limited government funding.
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