Erosion, trees and carbon farming

Kees Weytmans

Opinion

In recent days three articles have appeared that provide hope for a somewhat more nuanced view on trees and carbon farming. Lately I have been dismayed by the ever-increasing hate towards pines — now encapsulated by the word exotics — and had nearly given up hope that our New Zealand soils could be covered by more forests in the next 10 years.

First there was our own editor who wrote a very balanced on Saturday, April 16. My compliments!

Second, on April 22 an article by David Williams appeared in Newsroom headlined: . Again, this was a well researched and balanced article.

However, a third article by professor Keith Woodford published on interest.co.nz the next day hit the nail on the head. It was headlined: .

Professor Woodford regularly writes about potential implications of the Emissions Trading Scheme and the value of carbon credits on the future of land use in New Zealand. Unfortunately it seems neither the Government (read Ministers Stuart Nash and James Shaw) nor the bureaucrats at MPI and MfE seem to have heard of Professor Woodford . . . .

I am a fifth generation woodsman from The Netherlands. After graduating from the Dutch School of Forestry I worked for eight years in forestry — as a development aid worker — in Africa and Asia. I have lived now for 35 years in New Zealand and have established 22 hectares of forest on our 32ha farm near Gisborne. On our steep and eroding slopes I have planted pine, eucalyptus and cypress but on our gentler slopes and some alluvial flats I have planted black walnut, oak, poplar, redwood and blackwood. Please note all of these are exotics/introduced species.

I have tried to plant native forest for many years but after spending many hours of hard work and many dollars there has been really nothing much to show for it.

Our original farm was pasture and on the hill was gorse and blackberry. Then by planting the trees and a successful rodent, possum and deer control programme, the birds came back: wood pigeon, tui, kingfishers etc, etc. And now we get a really attractive understory of regenerating native plants. The birds are doing the job.

The way I see it, our No.1 problem is our erosion. Without soil on the hills you cannot plant either pine or natives. A lot of our eroding lands can only sustain pine; planting natives on those hills guarantees failures. It is my firm belief that by active management, these pines can create the conditions necessary for native regeneration. This active management will need foresters, scientists, ongoing pest control (goats, deer, possums and rodents) and weed control.

In the discussion about carbon farming we need to factor in that ongoing pest and weed control provides ongoing employment — providing honest, honourable and necessary work for hundreds upon hundreds of fit and willing workers. These workers will be paid out of the money generated by the carbon credits. See, there is still hope!

The pinnacle of our success in native regeneration is with our puriri. We started planting puriri in 2001 through to 2004. It is now naturally seeding on our hills, protected by eucalyptus and pine. I believe puriri is New Zealand’s most valuable tree. No other tree — in my opinion — has more desirable traits than puriri. Its timber is unique, very durable and sought after by Maori. The birds just love the flowers and the seeds. It flowers throughout the year and its longevity is amazing.