Harvesting ETS forest land

If you harvest or deforest forest land that is registered in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) you will probably need to surrender units that the forest earned as it was growing.

Harvesting and deforesting forest land

If you own post-1989 forest land that is registered in the ETS you’ll have to surrender units if you harvest your forest.

Harvesting may leave your land ‘temporarily unstocked’ before you replant. If you do not replant, or you switch to another land use, the land has been deforested. Deforestation has a specific definition under the ETS.

• If you deforest registered post-1989 forest land you must remove the land from the ETS and surrender any applicable units.
• If you deforest pre-1990 forest land you may need to tell Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service and pay for the emissions you create, even if you are not registered in the ETS.