Should I plant trees? What's the future looking like?

Planting trees is a long-term commitment. The future is positive as the world needs wood from sustainable forests.

Is forestry a good investment? 
Yes, if the initial planning is smart and the right decisions are made.

What are the risks?
Management risk, losses due to poor establishment or pests, lack of capital for tending, environmental risk (wind, fire, pests & diseases), market risk.

How small is too small - I want to plant 5 hectares, can SFL help me? 
10 hectares is generally considered a minimum. Economies of scale apply.

Do I need a forest manager or can I do it myself ?
Very few people manage their own forest well and only if they have some industry exposure.

How many forests do SFL manage nationwide?
A large number from 10 ha to 5,500 ha in size. Total area managed exceeds 20,000 ha.

I own a forest in the North Island - can SFL manage it?
Yes. It is common for forestry companies to manage forests remotely and engage local contractors for any work. 

To prune or not to prune - what's the benefit to me?
Value needs to be evaluated for individual forests based on growth rate and proximity to markets. There is normally a marginal gain on added capital investment in pruning. Thinning is more essential.

Are forests easy to buy and sell?
It depends on size and location, average age, and quality of management. There are specialist companies that market forests. Larger forests say > 200 ha are more marketable than small forests.

What is SFL's commitment to the environment? 
As a FSC® certified company, SFL must maintain a high environmental standard to meet FSC® criteria. The industry is bound by strict legislation particularly the National Environmental Standard for Commercial Forests (NES-CF).

How safe is forestry? What are your H&S protocols?   

Forestry is a high-risk industry, so it's imperative we define and understand the critical H&S risks and focus on these. Key protocols include, Pre-operational Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, working to “Best Practice" Guidelines (ACOP), Emergency Plans, Training Programmes, Incident/ Investigation Reporting and Worker Engagement. We use Safe365 as our main H&S system, which is an interactive reporting Application.  

What is the FSC® and what does it mean to me? 

FSC® is an international certification body that provides standards and policies for forest management excellence. Certified companies are audited annually on a range of standards of governance, legal compliance, environmental compliance, professional competence, and social factors. SFL is a certified company and operates at a level that is applied to all clients not just the Forest Management Units that are recognised in the Company certificate.

What is the ETS and carbon forestry?
The ETS was initiated in 2008 as the main legislative tool to manage and reduce industrial emissions. Forestry is the main provider of carbon units as forest owners are allocated units for carbon removals from the atmosphere.
Carbon Forestry is a loose term for forests planted primarily for the owners to benefit from the cash flow generated by carbon sales.

Should I join the ETS - what's in it for me? 
Carbon provides cash flow for forest owners in advance of harvest and provides a second commodity from forests that traditionally relied on income from sale of logs at maturity. In that respect it is a game changer, and driver for new planting.