Afforestation Grant Scheme Guidelines
About the AGS Guidelines
These guidelines cover:
- who can tender for an afforestation grant;
- the role of Regional Councils;
- what land is eligible for a grant;
- how to tender for a grant;
- how the scheme administrator decides which application to approve;
- what to expect if an application is approved;
- payment of grants.
Afforestation and Climate Change
Forests contribute to the mitigation of climate change by converting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into carbon stored in wood. They also assist with reducing the likely impacts of climate change. For example, forests can reduce erosion, nutrient leaching and flood peaks.
From a Kyoto Protocol perspective, forests planted on Kyoto-compliant land generate Removal Units (RMUs), sometimes called carbon sink credits that can be used to offset developed countries' greenhouse gas emissions. While a programme of new forest planting will not, in itself, enable New Zealand to meet its Kyoto Protocol target for the first commitment period it is likely to place New Zealand in a stronger position for possible future commitment periods.
Under the AGS, foresters can receive a government grant for planting new forests on Kyoto-compliant land (unforested as at 31 December 1989). Grantees2 will own the new forests and earn income from the timber, while the Crown will retain the Kyoto Protocol sink credits and take responsibility for meeting all harvesting and deforestation liabilities.
Objectives of the Scheme
The goal of the Afforestation Grant Scheme is to encourage the establishment of new forest land in New Zealand in order to stabilize the greenhouse gas concentration of the atmosphere (by converting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into carbon stored in wood).
Priority will be given to afforestation proposals that will:
- also reduce the risk of soil erosion, improve water quality and improve biodiversity;
- achieve the objective and other environmental outcomes with the least risk and cost to the Crown.
The intention is to create a scheme that meets these objectives with minimal administrative cost.
2 A grantee is the recipient of a grant.
Contact for Enquiries
Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change
MAF
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 CLIMATE (254 628)
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