Practices

A forestry plantation project is being implemented with New Zealand ODA Assistance. At present, the project is being redesigned to shift the emphasis from large-scale government-owned forestry plantations to smaller privately owned plots. The forestry plantation project has objectives to:

  • develop a hardwood forest plantation over a period of 40 years;
  • improve degraded soils;
  • provide an alternative source of timber and thereby reduce pressures on the natural forests;
  • provide rural employment.

About 290 hectares of plantations of mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and Australian red cedar (Toona australis) have been established under the forestry plantation project to meet future demands for timber. The project aims to establish 50 hectares of plantation per annum. Trees are line planted at three metre spacings, with weeding performed through the first five years after establishment. No pruning is required, and thinning has yet to be carried out. It is expected that the Swietenia macrophylla will be grown on at least a 35-year rotation.

A small amount of active management is carried out in the natural forests, which generally remain subject to shifting cultivation and small volumes of timber harvesting.

Forest conservation measures

The Huvalu Forest Conservation Area and the adjacent Hakupu Heritage and Cultural Park are based on village arrangements and tapu areas. The Niuean government is seeking assistance to develop national conservation legislation. About 5 400 hectares have been set aside as the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area, which is managed and administered by a Conservation Area Coordinating Committee which includes village, government and NGO representatives using a village-based participatory planning and management model. The Conservation Area retains customary land ownership and works as a cooperative relationship between local land-holders, the community and the government. The objectives of the Conservation Area are to ensure the forest and its animals continue to flourish, and cultural features are protected. The Conservation Area concept was developed under the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

The Hakupu Heritage and Cultural Park includes 369 hectares of land, including a tapu area, that is adjacent to the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area and the Niue Island Organic Farmers¿ Association plots. The Park also includes 300 square metres of protected reef in the adjacent marine area. It was created following a proposal put to the village by one of the village members who is an active conservationist.

Forest protection measures

At present, a New Zealand ODA-funded Cook Islands-Niue-Tokelau Plant Protection Project is examining plant protection needs in Niue. In 2000, Niue also requested assistance from the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service in conducting a survey of invasive plant species of environmental concern. The objectives of this survey were to identify plant species that are, or could potentially be, threatening to natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Niue has recently formed an Invasive Species Committee. The USDA survey noted that Niue appears to have adequate laws and regulations in place to deal with quarantine and new introductions.

Resistance to cyclone damage is the overriding consideration in plantation species selection. Nuie was hit by Cyclone Ofa in 1990, with a degree of stem damage that affected approximately 20 percent of five-year old test plantings. Salt spray has defoliated a number of trees in coastal areas.

Forest harvesting practices

Forest harvesting and processing in Niue is currently undertaken on a very small scale and in a sustainable manner, relying on the good faith of the existing operator. At present, Niue produces several hundred cubic metres of sawn timber each year for local consumption. Timber is sourced from the natural forests on an ad hoc selection/small coupe-felling basis. Most forest clearings are attributable to subsistence gardening activities. At times, bulldozers have been used to clear land, but traditional slash-and-burn practices are utlized most frequently. It is estimated that land clearing for agriculture totalled around 250 hectares per annum in the period 1966-1981, while logging accounted for 16 hectares per annum. The National Forest Policy identifies a number of strategies in the area of forest harvesting and processing including:

  • Developing a viable small-scale forest-based industry utilizing a low level of private sector investment;
  • Reviewing timber production systems and equipment for sustainable and low-impact harvesting;
  • Investigating the environmental feasibility of timber preservation of local timber.
last updated: Tuesday, November 24, 2009