27th March 2024 Newsletter

PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

Firstly, thank you to all those who participated in the recent Council members and Registration Board voting process. Your engagement in these matters is crucial to the vitality of our association. However, it is with some disappointment I must report only 140 members, approximately 17% of eligible voters, have cast their votes thus far. If you haven't already done so, I implore you to take a moment to exercise your right to vote. The voting period concludes at 3pm this Thursday, so please act promptly. We anticipate announcing the results early next week.

In other news, NZIF has been approached for an interview by the Reviewer examining the costs associated with operating the ETS. We eagerly anticipate this opportunity to engage with the reviewer, with the hope of achieving a fair and equitable outcome. Nevertheless, we are continuing with the Judicial Review process to retain the option of challenging any fees should the reviewer's findings be unsatisfactory. While this process is time-consuming, we do not anticipate seeing any resolution until after August at the earliest. However, we remain hopeful adjustments to the fees may be made following the reviewer's recommendations, thus rendering the need for further legal action unnecessary.

The conference committee is diligently preparing for our September conference in Nelson (4th to 6th inclusive). We are in the final stages of confirming speakers and will be releasing a list of speakers shortly. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, and we welcome any support we can garner. Sponsorship plays a vital role in keeping conference fees affordable. If you are interested in sponsoring, please reach out to me at president@nzif.org.nz.

On another note, I've been seeking clarity from the Government regarding the future of the Log Traders and Forest Advisors register and the proposed 15,000 hectare limit on new planting. Unfortunately, there is no clear directive at this stage, but rest assured, I will keep you informed as soon as I receive any updates. If there are additional concerns stemming from the election process that you would like addressed, please don't hesitate to inform me, and I will include them in my discussions with the Minister.

In closing, I'm pleased to report we are fostering positive relationships with Federated Farmers, with collaborative efforts underway in pest management and exploration into joint initiatives concerning rural fire. While there are other areas of potential collaboration, time constraints currently limit our pursuits. Additionally, I have reached out to Beef and Lamb and will be meeting with them in April in Hawkes Bay.

Please remember to cast your vote.

Warm regards
James

KEEPING YOU IN THE LOOP

Walking Down Memory Lane

The message below from Robert Brook, Senior lecturer emeritus at Bangor University in North Wales, was forwarded to me by the recipient, Vivien Edwards, author of the biography of Mary Sutherland A Path Through the Trees.  If any NZIF members have recollections of Eric Mobbs and would like to send them to me, I will forward them to Rob.

Email:  Andrew McEwen

“I have in front of me (in England) your book, A Path Through the Trees. I read it on the plane home from NZ a couple of weeks ago, and I am very impressed by your detailed research. What an interesting and pioneering woman Mary was. 

“There's a bit of a story attached to this email. I taught agroforestry at Bangor University for 25 years until my retirement in 2018. Mary Sutherland is well known to the forestry students there, and there's a portrait of her in the university's Council Chamber, which indicates the esteem in which she is held in Bangor. 2024 is the 120th anniversary of teaching forestry in Bangor, and the school is thriving with student numbers in the hundreds. 

“Our son lives in NZ and my wife and I went to see him (and our new grandson) a few weeks ago. The forestry dep't at Bangor had been contacted by Claire Miller, Librarian at the Forest Research Institute in Rotorua to say that she'd discovered several boxes of slides by Eric Mobbs, who was the Professor of Forestry at Bangor from 1947-1967 (after which he retired to Gisborne, where he died in 1972). He donated all his slides (ten boxes of them) to the FRI. Claire asked if we'd be interested in them as many were from his time in Britain, and the rest were from his time working in India.

“I arranged to see her, and brought back a couple of boxes of his British slides (3.2 kg per box!). I saw the signed copy of your book which you donated to the library there, and ordered it from Phoenix on-line book sellers and I'll donate it to the forestry school in Bangor. We went to see Mary's plaque (a new one) in the redwood forest. From your book I read that Mary visited Bangor University in 1952, so she almost certainly would have met Eric Mobbs (if he wasn't away somewhere at the time).

“Mary and Eric will certainly feature prominently in the 120th anniversary event in September, especially now we have many of his photographs. If by some chance you have any information about Eric Mobbs during his final years in NZ that would be interesting. I guess he would have visited the FRI in Rotorua and decided that it was a good place to archive his slide collection.”

2024 Election of Council and Registration Board Positions

We are pleased to announce that the online information for the NZIF Councillors and Registration Board Elections for 2024 are now available for viewing. You can access them today on the NZIF website under the 'Elections' section. Your participation in this process is important to shaping the future of NZIF. Take the time to review the candidates and make your voice heard by casting your vote. You must have paid up your current membership for valid votes. (Note: Students are not eligible to vote in this voting process).

Apology: a spelling error in online voting: Yvette Dickson should read Yvette Dickinson.

Voting (casting your vote)  OPENS: Tuesday, 12^th March 2024.

You must be signed into the Members Only area of the NZIF website:

• Once signed in Click on the 9 dots, at the top left of your screen.
• Click on "Elections" from the drop-down list.
• Click on "View Current Elections"
• Click on the Election
• Read instructions and Bio's
• Click on the green button "Cast Vote" (available from 12^th March to 28^th March 2024)

Alternatively, once logged in select this link  Vote on Election

The Nominations for the Councillor positions (8) are as follows:

• Jacqui Aimers
• David Cormack
• Russell Dale
• Lania Holt
• Peter Houston
• Rob Miller
• Jack Palmer
• Kit Richards
• David Rhodes

The Nominations for the Registration Board position (1) are as follows:

• Yvette Dickinson
• Janet Scott

Voting CLOSES at 3:00pm on Thursday 28^th March 2024, and results will be announced during the week following.

Vote on Election

Close-to-nature continuous cover forestry project

A collaborative project examining business models for CCF in Aotearoa New Zealand involving Scion, The Connective, Nga Pou a Tane and Tāne’s Tree Trust has recently been completed. This one-year project was co-funded by Te Uru Rākau - New Zealand Forest Service and started mid-2023.

The project:

• Identified and engaged NZ-based stakeholders to understand experiences, needs, challenges and aspirations
• Held a series of six online wananga (workshops), each 90 minutes long. These confirmed not just significant interest in the topic of CCF in NZ, (50-60 attendees at each session) but also attracted international speakers and participants. Recordings of the online workshop sessions can be viewed from the project website: Continuous Cover Forestry 
• Identified and considered research on international examples and business models, plus enabling markets and policy relevant to the NZ-context
• Developed high-level business CCF models for NZ – including CCF with exotic, native, and mixed species forests
• Produced a summary report outlining key findings and recommendations (link further below)

This project is expected to help guide policy-makers and target future research work on the topic. It has also brought together a network of stakeholders and demonstrated significant interest in CCF options for NZ.

Recommendations include the benefits of establishing a network of trial and demonstration sites/forests around the country.

The final report of the project is available here (PDF, 6.02 MB)

Tim Payn

NZIF Centennial - Expressions of Interest

NZIF’s centennial will be 2027. The President is looking for volunteers to organise, set up and run events throughout the year including:

• The annual conference (which will also be an ANZIF conference based in NZ).
• A centennial celebration dinner with invited guests and one-off awards celebrating our members.
• Local centennial celebrations within each of our regional sections.
• Centennial CPD events around the history of NZ forests and professional foresters.
• Future Forests celebration of 100 years of professional foresters.
• … and more.

Any member who wishes to be part of the organising committee please contact Veronica at nzifoffice@nzif.org.nz.

It is expected the time commitment will initially be a two hour meeting on-line once a month, growing to shorter weekly meetings as we approach 2027.

Membership Subscriptions Renewal Date - 1st April 2024

Hey there! Just a friendly reminder that your membership is up for renewal on April 1st, 2024. We've got some awesome stuff lined up for the coming year, and we'd hate for you to miss out! It's super important to keep your NZIF profile updated so you don't miss any cool updates or events. We're all about supporting our members and we love hearing from you too! Looking forward to having you with us for another great year!

If you wish to upgrade your current membership then complete the upgrade form, if you do not want to renew your membership, and we would hate this to happen, you need to submit a resignation email to NZIF.

Are you remembering to read?!

Have you read the latest Journal of Forestry?   Latest issue is out now!

The NZIF Forestry Handbook is always being updated.  Always some good reading to be found.

NZIF Foundation Scholarships will be coming up again this year and they are always happy to receive any donations.

For our young foresters, remember to connect with the Future Foresters

The Salary Survey is up for review soon but members can still access all the information in the members areas: Salary Survey

Enhance Your Recruitment Reach with NZIF Newsletter Advertising

Are you seeking top talent to join your team in the forestry industry? Look no further! NZIF is delighted to offer you a prime opportunity to showcase your job vacancies in our fortnightly newsletter and on our dedicated Situation Vacant webpage.

Why advertise with us?

• Direct Targeting: Reach professionals who are actively involved in the forestry industry to make sure they are aware of your job openings and have an interest in them.
• Enhanced Visibility: Amplify your recruitment efforts by featuring your vacancies in our newsletter, gaining exposure among our industry network.
• Streamlined Recruitment: Simplify your hiring process and connect with the perfect candidates efficiently.
• Community Engagement: Strengthen your connection with potential candidates who are actively involved in the forestry community.

Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to find your next team member!

Download the booking form to learn more about advertising and the cost of placing your job vacancies with NZIF.

Join us in shaping the future of forestry talent recruitment!

WEBINAR UPDATES

NZIF April Webinar Update

We're absolutely thrilled with the amazing feedback we've been receiving, and we're so grateful for all of you who have been joining us for our webinars. It's fantastic to see so many of you getting involved!

We're already cooking up some exciting plans for April, and rest assured, we've got another fantastic webinar lined up just for you. Keep your eyes peeled after the Easter break for all the details. We'll make sure you're the first to know with a notification coming your way!

Don't forget if you missed out on any of the following webinars you can purchase them from the NZIF Shop:
(if you can't see them all don't forget to select "view all" bottom right of the screen (you must be logged in).

• CPD09: Forest Management Controls in the Pacific North West and their relevance to New Zealand
• CPD08: NZ Fire Danger Rating System
• CPD07: Undertaking Continuous Professional Development
• CPD06: National Environmental Standards - Commercial Forestry 2023
• CPD05: Managing our Exotic Commercial Forests to Protect Kiwi
• CPD04: Code of Ethics and Why it is Important for Members
• CPD03: NZIF Real Estate Exemption, Code of Ethics & CPD Policy (part of the 2023 CPD conference)
• CPD02: Tane's Tree Trust:  Session 2 (part of the 2023 CPD conference)
• CPD01: Tane's Tree Trust:  Session 1 (part of the 2023 CPD conference)

Please ensure you abide by NZIF's Terms and Conditions

You are welcome to encourage non-members to view CPD videos from the NZIF Public Shop area (not all webinars are available to non-members).

Collaboration with Forestry Australia Feedback

As a retired Board member of Forestry Australia I am still actively involved in Committees and our Mentoring Program. Our Forestry Australia CEO, Jacquie Martin asked for feedback this week on the NZIF webinar experience as a Forestry Australia member. 

I commented that it was good to see the events of both Forestry Australia and NZIF being more inclusive with members of both organisations invited to register at local member rates.  Both webinars I have attended on-line have been informative and interesting - there is considerable overlap in our Trans-Tasman interests and issues.

Cheers
Kevin Harding

Forestry Professional or Forestry Adviser?

Following the CPD session on the NZIF Code of Ethics I gave on 20^th February, I was asked why NZIF uses the term registered forestry professional, whereas Te Uru Rakau uses registered forestry adviser.  The questioner wondered how this fitted with a specialist in something like carbon or economics or entomology, given the difference in meaning between a professional and an adviser.

My answer noted NZIF has trademark protected NZIF Registered Forester, NZIF Registered Forestry Professional and NZIF Registered Forestry Consultant and a registered member can use which one suits them.  I personally use NZIF Registered Forester because I have a traditional forestry qualification (B.For.Sc. from Aberdeen University in 1968).  Forestry Professional was included to cater for the much broader range of disciplines that make up those involved in forestry – carbon, soil science, entomology, economics, research, engineering, accountancy, legal, social scientist and so on.  It acknowledges that not all members are forestry specialists.  At the 2023 AGM when the Council was removing the membership category of “Registered Member” from the rules, a different term had to be found for an NZIF member (usually an Ordinary Member) who is registered.  I suggested (and the AGM agreed) Registered Forestry Professional to include that broader than just the traditional forester concept and because the term was also trademarked.

As a result, throughout the NZIF rules a member who is registered and has a current certificate of registration is now referred to as a NZIF Registered Forestry Professional.

When it comes to the statutory Registered Forestry Advisor scheme, I, and others in NZIF, consider the standards required of an advisor to be less than those for a professional, and I think this shows up if you compare the two registration schemes.  The difference is, the law says you must be an RFA if you give advice, whereas if you want to demonstrate your professionalism (regardless of the legal situation) you should be an NZIF RFP.

Another aspect is, if you want benefit from NZIF membership (and who wouldn’t want that) and to comply with the law, first become a NZIF RFP to demonstrate your professionalism and then apply, through NZIF to be an RFA to meet the legal requirements for registration.

Andrew McEwen
NZIF Registered Forester
Member, NZIF Registration Board.

If you missed the CPD session remember to go to the shop to purchase:

• CPD04: Code of Ethics and Why it is Important for Members This webinar is free to members.

FA Webinar | Cultivating Connections: Aboriginal, Torres Strait, and Traditional Owner Forest Management

This webinar delves into Indigenous forest management practices and perspectives on two-way capacity building, collaboration, and partnerships. Focused on the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Traditional Owner world view, it highlights case studies showcasing a holistic approach to land stewardship. Participants will gain insights into the rich tapestry of Indigenous forest management philosophy, rooted in millennia of traditional knowledge and practice.

The webinar will also spotlight successful initiatives where Indigenous knowledge and practice intertwines with forest scientists to achieve sustainable forest management outcomes. By fostering dialogue between Indigenous land managers and forest scientists, this webinar aims to consider pathways towards inclusive, culturally sensitive forest management practices that honours all stakeholders and fosters healthy forests and Country.

Date: Wednesday 24 April

Time: 12:30 – 2:00pm (AEST)

REGISTER HERE

Note: This registration link has been provided for NZIF Members only, you will be registering with FA directly.

Everyone who registers:

• Receives a link and joining instructions 24 hours before the webinar commences
• Receives a recording of the webinar, so if you can’t listen live you can listen later

LOCAL SECTION EVENTS

Nelson Presentation: Using LiDAR metrics to estimate Tree Height, DBH & Carbon Content

With new technologies the likes of LiDAR becoming more frequently available, the forestry industry has the potential to increase our understanding of forest volumes for a broad spectrum of benefits.

You are invited to come along and attend a presentation from Euan Mason, who will be presenting on his experience with LiDAR metrics to estimate tree height, tree DBHs and carbon content. 

Topic: Using LiDAR metrics to estimate Tree Height, DBH & Carbon Content.
Speaker: Euan Mason
When: Thursday 18^th April, 16:00 – 17:30pm
Where: Kārearea room at the OneFortyOne Office, 58A Gladstone Road, Richmond

This is an in-person event only.

Registrations close: Wednesday, 17th April 2024

Register here

2024 NZIF NELSON CONFERENCE

NZIF Conference - Working hard to create the best experience for you!

The Nelson Committee are working hard to secure a great group of speakers for the upcoming conference, and they plan to announce them by the end of April/early May. The three field trips are shaping up nicely, offering interesting places to visit and talks to learn from. Almost done is finalising the special interest group events, ensuring there's something for everyone. Nelson's beautiful location always draws a crowd, and the Nelson Committee are excited to host a popular event in this great location that offers so much. Plus, we'll have some "must do" CPD sessions to boost your knowledge and hours.

The next newsletter will be featuring Sponsors who have come on board, but we are always keen to have more, so let us know if you are interested so you can be included.

Venue: Rutherford Hotel, Nelson 

Dates:  4th to 6th September 2024 

REGISTRATION BOARD UPDATE

From the Registrar: 27th March 2024

REGISTERED MEMBER 

The following Member is a Registered Members, approved by Board on 13^th March 2024.

• Richard Cook

NOTICE OF 5 YEAR REGISTRATION REVIEW  

The following Members are now due for their 5-Year review of registration which must be completed no later than 31 May 2024:

• Martin Watson of Christchurch 
• Peter Handford of Paekakariki 
• Patrick Milne of Christchurch 

 Any member of the NZIF has the right to object to an application. Any objection should be lodged with the Registrar registrar@nzif.org.nz within 20 working days of the first appearance of the notice in this newsletter, specifying the grounds for the objection.  

The following Members have successful completed their 5 Year Review and approved by Board on 13^th March 2024.

• Elly Mytton
• Bill Lu

 Annual Certificate of Registration (ACR)

All Registered Members are advised to complete the following before 31 May 2024 to receive their Annual Certificate of Registration (ACR) for 2024 and to maintain their Registered Member status: 

ACR Criteria (this will appear on your member’s profile under ACR or Certificate tab, after the 1^st April 2024).

1. Acknowledge that you have read and are prepared to adhere to the Code of Ethics (COE). This is a tick box under the ACR button on your Profile. Ticking this box means that you have read the COE and agree to abide by them. There is also a tick box question regarding Professional Indemnity Insurance. There is no need to send in any forms.
   
   
2. Update your CPD records online for year ending 31 December 2023. Once your CPD has been approved, the check box under your ACR on your profile should automatically be ticked.
   
   
3. Ensure your membership fee is paid.

1. Ensure any relevant 5-year reviews are completed. Your ACR will not be issued if you have not completed any relevant 5-year review processes. 

Downloading your ACR. Once all 3 boxes are “ticked” ie CPD, Declarations and Invoice then your ACR will be available as a pdf to download from the ACR button. An email will be sent advising when you can start entering the declarations, but you should already have updated your CPD. Thanks to those who have already submitted their CPD for approval. 

NZIF Foundation News

The Foundation held their first meeting with newly appointed Trustees: Luis Apioloza, Peter Edwards, James Kerr, Alex Wilson who join Tim Payn (Chair) and Lou Sanson (Trustee).  A great meeting was held along with a strategy session to identify the Foundation's key focus area and potential additional scholarships and grants in the near future.  These are being worked on and will be advertised in the coming months.  

Donations from member and non members can also be made through internet banking to BNZ 02 1269 0014573 00. Please include your name in the details fields. Please email the Foundation email to advise you have made a donation and whether or not you require a receipt for tax purposes.

The NZIF Foundation is a registered charity (CC47691) under the Charities Act 2005. Donations of $5 or more are eligible donations for tax purposes.

To discuss opportunities for larger donations to be applied to specific purposes, contact the Foundation Chair

RECENT FORESTRY ARTICLES

Councils will have to publish building consent data - govt
Norske Skog facing up to $1 billion in claims over landfill site linked to Kawerau mill
Ministry for Primary Industries proposes cutting 231 staff
Green money dries up
Low-cost posts for farms and no landfill charges for vineyards
Unhappy neighbours: Who is behind the up to $1 billion in claims against Norske Skog’s Tasman mill?
Man caught on camera with chainsaw in Wakefield forest found guilty of cutting illegal track
Department of Conservation 'spread too thin', Penny Nelson tells select committee