MERINGA STATION FOREST Owned by Landcorp Farming Ltd Forest Management Plan For the period 2011 / 2016 Prepared by Erin Leahy P O Box 1127 | Rotorua 3040 | New Zealand Tel: 07 921 1010 | Fax: 07 921 1020 [email protected] | www.pfolsen.com FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN MERINGA STATION FOREST Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................4 Growing wood.............................................................................................................................4 Principles and Criteria.................................................................................................................4 About this Plan............................................................................................................................4 2. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES................................................................................................5 Environmental and economic services........................................................................................5 Management objectives...............................................................................................................5 Implementation............................................................................................................................6 OPERATING ENVIRONMENT.............................................................................................................7 3. FOREST LANDSCAPE DESCRIPTION...................................................................................7 Overview .....................................................................................................................................7 Location and access.....................................................................................................................7 Topography .................................................................................................................................7 Soils.............................................................................................................................................8 – Pumice flats Manunui sandy silt loams derived from Taupo ash of medium to low fertility. .8 Climate ........................................................................................................................................8 Legal ownership ..........................................................................................................................8 The ecological landscape.............................................................................................................9 Protective Status..........................................................................................................................9 4. MAP 1 - FOREST LOCATION MAP......................................................................................10 5. SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE AND ADJACENT LAND....................................................11 Forest history.............................................................................................................................11 Current social profile.................................................................................................................11 Associations with Tangata Whenua ..........................................................................................11 Neighbours ................................................................................................................................12 6. THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT.................................................................................13 Regulatory considerations.........................................................................................................13 Resource Management Act .......................................................................................................13 District Plan...............................................................................................................................13 Regional Plan ............................................................................................................................14 Historic Places Trust Act...........................................................................................................15 Consents & authorities held ......................................................................................................16 The Emissions Trading Scheme................................................................................................16 Other relevant legislation ..........................................................................................................16 FOREST MANAGEMENT ...................................................................................................................18 7. FOREST ESTATE DESCRIPTION .........................................................................................18 Forest area .................................................................................................................................18 Current species ..........................................................................................................................18 Site index...................................................................................................................................18 Current crop status ....................................................................................................................18 Age class distribution................................................................................................................19 JANUARY 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN MERINGA STATION FOREST 8. RESERVE AREAS AND SIGNIFICANT SPECIES...............................................................20 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................20 Reserve areas.............................................................................................................................20 Rare and threatened species ......................................................................................................21 9. MAP 2 - FOREST STANDS MAP...........................................................................................22 10. NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS AND OTHER SPECIAL VALUES ..........................23 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................23 Non-timber forest products .......................................................................................................23 Other special values ..................................................................................................................23 Recreational usage.....................................................................................................................23 11. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND PRACTICES.................................................................24 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................24 Policy.........................................................................................................................................24 Environmental management goals ............................................................................................24 The EMS framework.................................................................................................................25 Hazardous substances management ..........................................................................................28 12. COMMERCIAL CROP ESTABLISHMENT AND SILVICULTURAL OPERATIONS.......29 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................29 Crop species ..............................................................................................................................29 Other species .............................................................................................................................29 Establishment ............................................................................................................................29 Pre-establishment forest flora and fauna..................................................................................30 Tending .....................................................................................................................................30 Tree nutrition.............................................................................................................................30 13. FOREST INVENTORY, MAPPING AND FOREST RECORDS...........................................31 Pre-assessment ..........................................................................................................................31 Quality control...........................................................................................................................32 Mid-crop inventory ...................................................................................................................32 Pre-harvest inventory ................................................................................................................32