More trees for the region
An extra 300,000 trees could be planted to mitigate climate change in the Wellington region in 2009 with funding from the Afforestation Grant Scheme says Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair Fran Wilde.
Landowners with land suitable for forestry are being encouraged to contact Greater Wellington and apply for funding under the new central government scheme – 50 percent of which is being allocated through regional councils. The scheme allocates $5.5 million a year, for the next four years, to a national regional council pool.
Chair Wilde says the Afforestation Grant Scheme (AGS) will help reduce the forecast impacts of climate change and create other environmental benefits around the region, such as reducing erosion and nutrient run-off in hill country areas.
“Greater Wellington has a long history working with landowners to plant trees for shelter, stabilise erosion prone land and slow down flood peaks. Planting to mitigate climate change is a natural progression for Greater Wellington and one with which we are excited to be involved.
“The AGS will allow us to do more of what we have always done – promote trees on our landscape, ensure sustainable land use and help landowners with planning and managing their plantings.
Greater Wellington was able to get some funding this year and we have helped a landowner plant 90 hectares of pine forest at Blairlogie, east of Masterton.
“Landowners who are interested should get in touch with a land management officer at Greater Wellington,” says Fran Wilde.
Through the regional council pool, Greater Wellington will work directly with landowners to arrange and manage planting projects, as well as auditing the performance of the forests.
Chair of the Greater Wellington Catchment Management Committee Ian Buchanan says 300,000 pine seedlings have been secured for 2009 and estimates between 500 and 600 hectares of land could be planted next year if landowners were ready.
Councillor Buchanan says under the regional council pool, priority will be given to afforestation proposals that will reduce the risk of soil erosion, improve water quality and improve biodiversity.
Ian Buchanan says the money can be used for fencing new forestry or regenerating blocks, as well as purchasing seedlings, planting and release spraying costs.
“Landowners can consider planting exotics or natives, or enhancing a regenerating native block by fencing, pest control and supplementary planting. It’s about using this money wisely and getting the maximum benefit for the region from every hectare planted,” says Ian Buchanan.
“Greater Wellington’s land management officers will assist with finding the most suitable planting options for each landscape, securing the trees and arranging the planting.”
Applications for the AGS through Greater Wellington are due on 31 January and 31 July 2009.
For more information about the Greater Wellington part of the AGS please contact:
Jim Flack
Communications Adviser
Greater Wellington
P06 370 5642
M 021 228 3067
Dave Cameron
Manager Land Management
Greater Wellington
P 06 370 5662
M 027 242 2934
Background - Afforestation Grant Scheme
The Afforestation Grant Scheme (AGS) is a government initiative to plant new forests on private land to gather carbon credits to offset New Zealand’s carbon emissions, in response to climate change under the Kyoto protocol. The AGS is overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The AGS applies to what is termed ‘Kyoto-compliant land’, that is, land that was not forested before 1990. It promotes new exotic forests, new native forests and assisted reversion of native remnants. Parcels of land must total five hectares to be considered for funding, and meet other conditions.
Under the AGS, the government will retain the carbon credits for the first 10 years after the forest has become established. After the contract period finishes, the carbon credits from the land will revert to the landowner, who will also incur any liability attached to the credits. This means that if landowners cut down the forest and do not re-plant, they will have to buy carbon credits to cover the shortfall.
Landowners can apply directly to the AGS for funds, or through regional councils. Regional councils will be helping with planning, planting and protecting the new forests.
Background - Climate change and carbon
The goal of the Afforestation Grant Scheme is to encourage the establishment of new forest land in New Zealand in order to stabilise the greenhouse gas concentration of the atmosphere. Forests contribute to the mitigation of climate change by converting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into carbon stored in wood. They also assist with reducing the likely impacts of climate change. For example, forests can reduce erosion, nutrient leaching and flood peaks.
While a programme of new forest planting will not, in itself, enable New Zealand to meet its Kyoto Protocol target for the first commitment period, it is likely to place New Zealand in a stronger position for possible future commitment periods.
A major objective of the AGS Regional Council Pool is to establish this new Kyoto-compliant forest in areas where it will help reduce the likely impacts of climate change and generate other environmental benefits, notably, where it will reduce erosion, nutrient leaching and flood peaks.
Further information about the Afforestation Grant Scheme contact:
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, PO Box 2526, Wellington
0800 CLIMATE (254 628)
Email: climatechange@maf.govt.nz
www.maf.govt.nz/climatechange