Forestry
The forestry industry is one of New Zealand's key export industries. New Zealand's temperate climate and fertile soil make it ideal for growing all types of high quality timber.
Forestry is recognised for the range of environmental benefits it provides (e.g. soil conservation, watershed management, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity). New Zealanders also value forests and bush areas for a number of recreational activities.
Like all primary production industries, the forestry industry relies on the quality of local soil, air and water for timber growth. It makes good business sense for the forestry sector to take care of these valuable business inputs by minimising the environmental impacts of its operations (e.g siltation of streams, rivers and estuaries during harvest).
Internationally, there is increasing consumer demand for sustainably managed timber and timber products. Adopting sustainable practices for forest management and timber processing can maximise New Zealand's competitive advantage and ensure the industry's long-term sustainability. Given that a large proportion of New Zealand's plantation forestry is already sustainably managed, New Zealand is also well placed to gain a marketing advantage through international certification.
There are a number of actions the forestry industry can take to manage its impacts on the environment, and keep New Zealand "clean and green". The links below provide advice on sustainability in the forestry sector.
Guides
Government Procurement: Timber and Timber Products Policy Guidelines (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
These Guidelines aim to ensure that all Government agencies buy only legally sourced timber and timber products and strongly encourages Government use of sustainably produced timber. Available resources include model clauses for procuring wood products and information on timber certification schemes.
Guidance for Voluntary, Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting
This publication gives guidance for corporations on voluntary Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reporting, including emission factors. It is intended to help those corporates that wish to voluntarily monitor and report greenhouse gas emissions on an organisational basis for their New Zealand operations.
National standard for sustainable plantation forest management (New Zealand Forest Owners Association)
The New Zealand Forest Owners Association has developed a National standard for sustainable plantation forest management. This document aims to formalise sustainable management practices in New Zealand, where 34 per cent of the country's total plantation area is already certified to Forest Stewardship Council standards.
Organisations
Indigenous Forestry Unit (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
The role of the Indigenous Forestry Unit, with offices located in Christchurch and Rotorua, is to facilitate the sustainable management of New Zealand's indigenous forests.
New Zealand Forest Owners Association
The New Zealand Forest Owners Association (NZFOA) is an advocacy group for commercial plantation forest owners, and is now one of the country's most active and influential resource sector organisations. NZFOA adds value to its members' businesses by undertaking activities that are better handled collectively than by individual growers working alone, for example, fire prevention and control, forest health surveillance, training and safety. NZFOA also represents the views of forest owners to central, regional and local government.
Other resources
Energy Efficient Ways to improve the economic bottom line of your forest harvesting business [PDF, 2.1MB] (Energy Federation of NZ)
This kit provides information on energy use and energy efficiency in the forest harvesting sector.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
The Forest Stewardship Council has an international labelling scheme for forest products, which provides a credible guarantee that the product comes from a well-managed forest.
Permanent Forest Sink Initiative (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry)
The Permanent Forest Sink Initiative (PFSI) provides an opportunity for landowners to establish permanent forest sinks and obtain tradable Kyoto Protocol compliant emission units in proportion to the carbon sequestered in their forests.
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