60 | FORESTRY New Zealand Forest Owners Association T T Karen Phelps Trees seen as critical for NZ’s future The NZFOA represents owners and managers of approximately two-thirds of New Zealand’s 1.79-million-hectare plantation forest estate. “These forests are helping to clean the air we breathe, supporting biodiversity and providing thousands of people jobs throughout the lifecycle of the tree.” Forestry is New Zealand’s fourth- largest primary-industry export earner, generating approximately $6 billion for our economy each year, yet the importance of forestry to communities and our country’s future often goes unrecognised. The New Zealand Forest Owners Association (NZFOA) chief executive Dr Elizabeth Heeg says it’s time that forestry and wood processing’s real and potential value is realised. “Forestry is the unsung hero of the food and fibre network,” Elizabeth says. “Not only are forest owners producing timber for homes, paper products and more, these forests are helping to clean the air we breathe, supporting biodiversity and providing thousands of people jobs throughout the lifecycle of the tree. “It’s time for New Zealanders to champion the benefits forestry provides and how critical trees will be for our future.” While timber and fibre production will always be at the core of forest growers’ operations, Elizabeth says the sector has been working hard to be part of the climate- change solution, too. “Forest growers are working with manufacturing partners in wood processing, thinking about how the trees we grow today can create materials for tomorrow that will deliver the low-emissions future we all want to lean into,” she says. Established in 1926, the NZFOA represents owners and managers of approximately twothirds of New Zealand’s 1.79-million-hectare plantation forest estate. Its members are responsible for over 70% percent of the annual harvest, mostly Pinus radiata, although a large proportion of these forest owners plant and manage alternative species and native forests, too. The association has evolved to become one of the country’s most influential primary sector organisations. Elizabeth says New Zealand’s excellence in growing sustainable wood fibre has positioned the sector favourably in the global market. “The nation’s pine resources were initially developed to produce sustainable fibre that would not impact native timber and conservation estates. Today, radiata’s role in safeguarding our climate and the bioeconomy has seen forestry earmarked as having one of the biggest value-add opportunities of any rural industry. “As a renewable resource, forestry is foundational to the emergence of this bioeconomy,” Elizabeth says. “Unlike fossil fuels, wood products can be replenished through responsible forest management, ensuring long-term sustainability. “Wood fibre will also be critical for replacing high-emitting building materials,” Elizabeth explains. “For example, we are seeing more and more engineered- timber solutions in buildings, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) and lLaminated vVeneer lLumber (LVL), for their strength and low-carbon footprint.” This shift towards manufactured timber products offers multi-faceted benefits. The residue from manufacturing processes can be repurposed for bioenergy, with major companies like Fonterra and Genesis exploring transitions from coal to wood pellets to reduce emissions, she says. Considerable sector investment has gone into forest research and innovation that enables value-add, and positions forestry to fulfil the country’s biofuel needs. Even more investment has been made into ongoing improvement of the way forests are grown. “That continued investment in science and research is really important, not just for innovation, but for the resilience of our forests,” says Elizabeth. “Forest growing is not the same as what it was 10ten or even 20 years ago. “Like so many other rural industries, forests are under increasing pressure from temperature fluctuations, changing precipitation patterns and a higher than usual frequency of extreme weather events.” Elizabeth says the large scope of research occurring within the sector will improve our understanding of how forests respond under more stressful conditions, and hopefully enable development of practices, technology and tree species that withstand climate stressors. ““Forest owners and the wider sector are really focused on making sure we are prepared for these risks, and that the health of our forests are safeguarded first and foremost so that they can continue to be a multifaceted provider of fibre, jobs, biofuel, and so much more.” That focus extends to building climate resilience in unison with other rural industries at a local and international level, Elizabeth says. “Our forests are not unique in the pressures they face,” she says. “Canada’s wildfires burned roughly 7.8 million hectares of forest in 2023 and caused significant disruption to people, the environment and lumber production.” The aAssociation has worked closely with Federated Farmers since to ensure New Zealand’’s rural landowners are prepared for such risks, and that there is a good, fit-for- purpose rural fire system in place. Collaboration is occurring in the biosecurity space, too, with a recent delegation of New Zealand forest experts observing firsthand Dr Elizabeth Heeg the effects a forest pathogen has had on Spain’s pinus radiata stands,; forcing growers, particularly in the Basque Country, to look to alternative species for timber production. “The delegation is now looking to implement measures that safeguard’s New Zealand forests from similar biosecurity threats,” Elizabeth says. “By sharing these challenges and collaborating on them, we can develop adaptation strategies to ensure continued, sustainable growth that meets New Zealand’s needs.” Elizabeth sees immense potential for New Zealand’’s forestry sector, particularly in building materials and bioenergy applications. “New Zealand has amazing potential in the forestry space and we’’re really committed to working on how we realise that potential going into the future. “Working with our communities and growers to make sure trees are part of the solution in a changing climate and world will be critical.”
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