by Catherine Delahunty
The commercial forests of the West Coast are currently presenting a dilemma to the Government. These ex-Timberlands forests are producing low-quality timber and in many places the soils and climate have proven unsuitable for the species planted. A fierce windstorm last winter smashed over whole forests in some areas. Given the damage and the cost of milling and transporting low-value low-grade pine, the Government has to decide what can be done with around 20,000 hectares of uneconomic pines, and some cypress and blackwood forests.
When the native logging on the Coast was stopped nearly 10 years ago, the SOE Timberlands refocused on managing the Coast’s plantation forest. Unfortunately, it made a hash of it – partly through mis-management and partly because the Coast is not generally suited to radiata pine. Timberlands has recently been wound-up and the forests transferred to MAF’s Crown Forestry Group who use contractor PF Olsen to manage it.
The Green Party believes a sustainable commercial forestry is viable for the Coast and that now is the time to look at long term options for both native and exotic species planting which will work with the unique West Coast environment. Current native forests must continue to be protected, but we can plant and sustainably-harvest native trees on commercial forestry land. We think that developing new long-term diverse-species forests is a better option than abandoning the land, or converting it to less environmentally-beneficial uses, because we could create real jobs in a genuinely sustainable industry.
Green New Deal investment in green forestry jobs on the Coast would include the planting and maintenance of commercial native forests as well as the selection of exotic species which do actually suit the local environment. None of these species will grow as fast as pine, but with a mixed forest the rotations can be varied between species. There are no quick bucks to be made from this kind of forestry but there are many long term benefits. Indeed, Timberlands’ demise shows that bucks and jobs can be quickly lost if forestry is not managed sustainably. New jobs need to be developed in high-value timber products which would require the development of skills at local tertiary institutions and the development of niche markets.
There are also a number of uses for the current low-quality pine forests if we are prepared to think laterally. These trees could be suitable for the developing biochar technology. Massey University are leading the work on carbon sequestration through making charcoal from wood and ploughing it back into the earth. An emerging side benefit of this research is a new post-petrol form of plastic made from the byproducts of biocharcoal production which is a great example of 21st century green technology.
We could also look at high-grade pulp and paper production from a plant species ideally suited to the West Coast, that often forgotten but fantastic fibre, harakeke (flax).
By September the Government’s review of the forests will have reported and the Greens hope they are open to new ideas that will build the long-term well-being and wealth of the West Coast.
Published in Environment & Resource Management by Catherine Delahunty on Wed, April 15th, 2009
Tags: Catherine Delahunty, forestry, green new deal, timberlands, West Coast
More posts by Catherine Delahunty | more about Catherine Delahunty
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
Flax good for all kinds of stuff – all in favour of cash crops here!
Mad if we don’t grow wood.
Now it’s just gotta be cheaper for Kiwi’s (Domestic Market) and more expensive for Exporters
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Good post Catherine.
This certainly makes a whole lot of sense.
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“in many places the soils and climate have proven unsuitable for the species planted. A fierce windstorm last winter smashed over whole forests in some areas.”
Since this also happens to Rimu, and Rimu has been around long enough to show that the same thing happens on a massive scale every time the Great Alpine Fault moves, the plans need to take account of the paleoseismologists estimation that there is a greater than 75% probability of the nest Great Alpine quake occuring within the next 20 years.
“what can be done with around 20,000 hectares of uneconomic pines?” Why not give every Coast family a hectare of firewood…and one of those microwave biochar machines that just won the Judge’s Choice in the Financial Times’ Climate Change Challenge.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/2333242/Firm-wins-climate-change-award
Sadly and oh so typicly, the MSM are treating this as a regional news item instead of an international. No wonder we keep missing the ‘knowledge’ wave
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“the plans need to take account of the paleoseismologists estimation that there is a greater than 75% probability of the nest Great Alpine quake occuring within the next 20 years.”
Ummm…. probably won’t have a major affect on forestry planting!! There is no evidence that ALL the forests fall down in an alpine fault quake, there are many old forests that have stood through several large alpine fault quakes down here.
It is completely incorrect to sugest that pine does not grow well on the West Coast, it is fairer to say that unless pine is regularly pruned it will be a low value saw log. There are no more problems with wind throw or anything else regarding pine compared to other regions, infact the West Coast is actually one of the least windy regions in the south island.
If NZ is going to keep using treated timber, pine will remain the no. 1 forestry species.
A much better alternative to treated timber would have been sustainable, durable native beech, but the greenies put that option down the toilet for political brownie points about 10 years ago.
Some good ideas from Catherine none the less, I guess you are allowed to talk about them now that the political climate has changed.
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“Massey University are leading the work on carbon sequestration through making charcoal from wood and ploughing it back into the earth. ”
Why not just leave it growing then and save the cost?
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Well if it’s biochar, then there’s a commercial imperative (possibly nudged along by carbon trading/taxes/whatever) to convert the wood, leading to an increase in crop fertility…
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The National Government is simply setting us all up for a return to the unsustainable logging of Native Forest. This ultra right wing government will dismantle much conservation effort to date in the name of capitalism. You can expect to see announcements to the commencement of that process in the next few days. The appointment of our totally unknown MP Auchinvole to chair the select committee for the RMA hearings demonstrates clearly the governments contempt for that process. We can all expect and will get environmental mayhem under this regime. Successive Governments were warned that the planting of pine trees here on the Coast was a waste of time and being one who was outspoken on that score I can take “I told you so” but with no joy when I remember I watching in despair as our native forests were bulldozed into heaps and set alight with napalm creating firestorms that ascended 25,000 ft for years to make way for the new wonder crop Radiata in the 70s and 80s – !
Carey Dillon
Kumara
Westland
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scareyd
Bit over an oversenstive remark there I would guess.
If this was truely a right wing goverment you would not have the freedom of speech to comment (nor would an ultra left wing government by the way).
Capitalism is more the centre party’s forte. Those with ideology far from the centre do not embrace capitalism.
Because capitalism is an expression of individual freedom, something the far left nor the far right can condone.
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A West Coast pulp ‘n’ paper mill would be great news for NZ. At the moment there’s no choice for publishers but imported paper. Even better if it could also process our country’s own waste paper into high-quality recycled paper for the print industry, instead of exporting most of our post-consumer paper waste. Using harakeke would certainly give us a point of diff to sell the paper overseas if production was high enough … and surely the West Coast could give us some pretty good hemp fibre paper as well!
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So libertarians are where?
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StephenR
I dont consider the Libertarians right wing at all. If you look at their literature you can see they are neither left, right or centre.
Individual freedom and individual responsiblity are not part of either utra left or utra right thinking.
They are closer to anarchist in their belief.
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Stephen,
There is the left-right continum and the libertarian-authoritarian continum, they can be independant of one another. This site iustrates it relativly well: http://www.politicalcompass.org/
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Yes well it depends on your spectrum.
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“The National Government is simply setting us all up for a return to the unsustainable logging of Native Forest.”
As if thats gona ever happen again, and national are hardly ultra right wing.
I see that you’ve succesfully closed down the Kumara pub there Carey, and you’re acusing others of being right wing!!
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Catherine’s post here got a bit of coverage in the Westport News, thanks to Grey District Mayor Tony Cock-shorn (um, sorry, Kokshoorn – although we are talking about virgin bush here, so I was too tempted!)
Sorry about the plethora of puns, but it was fun.
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Hi Catherine…
With a fibre yeild approximately 40% higher than most trees flax is an incredible fibre for paper. Sure cotton beats it for fibre yeild but cotton doesn’t do well here. I make handmake harakeke paper and would LOVE to see it in commercial production. Based on a colonial study 100 acres of flax would match 100 acres of trees for fibre production the flax can be sustainably harvested continuously after 4 years the trees need 25-30 years.
I hope harakeke paper concept takes off….
NZ could lead in yet another save the climate concept!
and create jobs!
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