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Post 1989 Forests &
ETS

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Emissions Trading Scheme & Post 1989 Forests

The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) rules set out for forests created after 1989 (Post 1989) can be found on the Ministry for Primary Industries website. We advise all forest and woodlot owners to spend some time reading this information.

However, some important things for owners to know include;

Under the Post 1989 provisions the owner of trees planted since 1990 was eligible to become a participant in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) if the use of land had changed to forestry from another use. This was voluntary and land or forest owners had until the end of 2012 to register in order to claim credits for carbon sequestered from January 2008 to December 2012. Owners are still able to register from 2013, but can only claim credit for carbon sequestered from 1st January 2013.

Post 1989 land was deemed to be any land that did not contain plantation trees before 1990. If the land was planted in trees before 1990, and had been harvested and replanted since, it is still categorised as Pre 1990 land. The new trees could not be registered as Post 1989.

Land that was reverting native scrub that will reach forest status, and has been retired since 1990, can be included in Carbon Trade under the Post 1989 provisions. This opportunity is more complex and requires a detailed overview and aerial photos taken at/around 1990 to prove the case.

The owner of the trees or land is defined as the person or persons or company or Trust or Incorporated Society’s listed in the certificate of title. All ETS rules pertain to the tree owner. If the trees are in a Joint Venture or Cutting Right, the registration can be with the land owner or the tree owner.

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