About Forest Enterprises
Maximising the Return on Your Forestry Investment
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It is the quality of the forest management, starting with site selection and continuing through all aspects of the development of the forest until harvest, that ultimately determines the amount of money in investors' pockets.
Forest Enterprises has a comprehensive forest management programme:
Site selection
Analysis and planning
Forest establishment
Pruning and thinning
Supervision
Plotting and measurement
Comprehensive records
Site selection
Site selection is the first key step towards maximising profitability. We
consider access, contour and lie of the land, climate and
soil types, distance to end users and export port, local authority land use
and resource issues, and other forests in the area.
Left: Land for the Baywood Forest, before planting. The wide leading ridges are expected to provide ideal access for harvesting.
Analysis and planning
After site selection comes careful analysis and planning. We assess the actual areas that can be afforested, calculate a site index, identify the most appropriate silviculture regime and select treestocks. We also make numerous computer projections. All this information is then translated into a cashflow so we can calculate the projected return to investors.
Forest establishment
After any preparation work, forest establishment begins with planting. Planting is a major logistical exercise that ensures everything occurs on time and to specification so that each tree is correctly planted. Shortly after planting comes release spraying to remove competing grass.
Right: The effect of release spraying clearly visible in the Baywood Forest.
Pruning and thinning
Approximately
3 to 4 years after planting, the pruning and thinning operations begin. The
selection of the best trees to prune, the trees to thin and the correct
pruning technique are critical to determine the quality of the crop trees at
harvest. The better the tree quality, the higher the return to investors.
Left: A tree pruning demonstration during a forest visit.
Supervision
Supervision is an essential part of all field activity. During every operation, we undertake quality control to confirm the job is completed to specification. We make on-going regular visits to each forest to check on security, access, forest health, pest control and grazing stock.
Right: Forest Auditor, John Schrider of Forme Consulting Group inspecting newly planted trees in the Baywood Forest.
Plotting and measurement
We regularly plot and measure crop samples to update the projected future volumes and log types.
Left: Wairarapa Forestry Manager, Graham Dick measuring the girth of a tree.
Comprehensive records
Maintaining comprehensive records is an integral part of managing a forest. Records ensure field operations occur on time and provide a detailed profile of each forest for updating forest valuations (for insurance and secondary market purposes) and for harvest planning. We use state-of-the-art computer systems written by the New Zealand Forest Research Institute.