On this page
- Sustainable forest management plan or permit?
- A sustainable forest management plan is for the long-term
- Reasons why you would apply for a SFM plan instead of another type of approval
- Have the trees died or fallen down naturally?
- When to submit your plan
- How much can you harvest?
- How much does it cost?
- How to draft your sustainable forest management plan
- Where to send your draft plan
- Before you harvest your forest
Milling native timber
To harvest and mill native (indigenous) timber, you need approval from MPI. There are 4 types of approval. This page is about sustainable forest management plans.
Read about the other types of approval
Sustainable forest management plan or permit?
Sustainable forest management plans are similar to sustainable forest management permits. The main difference is that plans last longer, and you can harvest more over time. Plans are more complicated to make and generally last at least 50 years.
Sustainable forest management permits are less complicated and last for 10 years.
Learn about the differences between sustainable forest management plans and permits
A sustainable forest management plan is for the long-term
Sustainable forest management (SFM) plans set a long-term sustainable harvest rate for timber from a native (indigenous) forest. The plan also ensures natural values of the forest are protected, for example habitats for plants and animals. A plan lasts at least 50 years.
What is an indigenous forest?
Indigenous trees are species that grow naturally in New Zealand, or arrived here without help from humans. Indigenous trees are often called native trees.
Reasons why you would apply for a SFM plan instead of another type of approval
You need a sustainable forest management plan if you:
- want to harvest and mill timber from an area of native forest land, and
- the forest is natural (you or someone else did not plant the trees), and
- the trees are alive and still standing, and
- you want to use the timber for personal use or sell it, and
- you might harvest from the area several times over 50 years, so need long-term approval to do so, and
- you can’t harvest and mill the timber under a milling statement.
If you’re not sure if you need a sustainable forest management plan, email our team for help:
indigenous.forestry@mpi.govt.nz
Have the trees died or fallen down naturally?
If you want to mill trees that have died or fallen over naturally, a milling statement may be more suitable. Milling statements are suitable for timber from certain sources and situations, for example windthrown trees.
Milling statements are easier to apply for and offer a shorter-term approval to mill the timber.
Read about milling statements and the categories of timber they apply to
When to submit your plan
You must send us a draft sustainable forest management plan and an annual logging plan before harvesting your forest.
Read about annual logging plans
How much can you harvest?
A sustainable forest management plan sets the rate you can harvest from your forest. It also places sustainability restrictions on the use of your forest. These remain in force for at least 50 years.
Your harvest rate will depend on the:
- area and type of forest
- location of the forest
- growth and replacement rates of the species you want to harvest.
We will only approve a plan if the harvest rate is sustainable.
How much does it cost?
It’s free to submit a draft sustainable forest management plan to MPI.
You may need to pay a forestry professional to help with your plan.
How to draft your sustainable forest management plan
To draft your plan, you need to understand tree species and forest ecology, especially growth and replacement processes.
The main part of creating your plan is a completing a forest inventory – measuring the standing roundwood volume of timber in the forest. This determines:
- a sustainable harvest rate, by species, and
- an appropriate forest management system.
Standing roundwood volume is the estimated amount of timber in a forest that is still standing.
Our guide will help you submit a draft sustainable forest management (SFM) plan.
Guide to preparing SFM plans, permit applications and annual logging plans [PDF, 7.3 MB]
The guide is informed by the requirements set out in the Forests Act 1949, and MPI’s standards and guidelines for the sustainable management of indigenous forests.
Get help with your plan
You may need help from a forestry professional to create your plan. They should have experience in native forest inventory and management systems. They can help you:
- create your forest inventory
- prepare a draft plan suited to what you need.
You might also want to hire a forestry professional to:
- manage your forest operations
- monitor forest management outcomes.
The New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) has a public register of forestry professionals.
Find a registered forest professional – NZIF
If you have any questions, you can contact our team by emailing indigenous.forestry@mpi.govt.nz
Where to send your draft plan
Email the draft plan to indigenous.forestry@mpi.govt.nz
You can also send the form and supporting information to either of the following addresses:
Te Uru Rākau - New Zealand Forest Service
Indigenous Forestry Team
Private Bag 4765
Christchurch
8140
Te Uru Rākau - New Zealand Forest Service
Indigenous Forestry Team
PO Box 1340
Rotorua
3040
After you apply
It can take up to between 3 and 6 months to process your draft plan from the time we receive it.
When we get your draft plan, we will:
- visit your site to confirm the details in your plan
- consult with the Department of Conservation on any conservational impacts and recommendations
- consult with Te Puni Kokiri if the land is specified Māori Land.
If we approve the plan, it will be registered on the land’s certificate of title for at least 50 years, unless a landholding has a term of less than 50 years. If the property is sold to another owner, the plan will stay on the title.
Removing the plan from your land title
There are rare situations where MPI can amend a plan to remove it from the land title before it expires. Generally, if harvesting has happened under the SFM plan, the plan will stay on the title until it expires.
Before you harvest your forest
If we approve your plan, we will issue you a certificate of registration. You must register this against your certificate of title with Land Information New Zealand. This needs to be done before you can submit an annual logging plan to harvest.
You will need a lawyer to register your sustainable forest management plan against your certificate of title.
Submit an annual logging plan
Once your SFM plan is registered, you will need to send us an annual logging plan before harvesting. You cannot legally harvest until we approve your annual logging plan. You need to send us a separate annual logging plan for each harvest within the 50 years.
Check if you need resource consent
A sustainable forest management plan does not exempt you from other conditions in the Resource Management Act or relevant regional or district plans. Check with your regional or district council to see if you need resource consent.
Find your local council contact details – Local Government website
After harvesting your forest
We will inspect your land after the harvest to confirm you met the harvest conditions.
When the plan expires, we will contact you. If you want to extend the plan, we can renew it for another 50 years.
Who to contact
If you have questions about the information on this page, email indigenous.forestry@mpi.govt.nz
