Isra-Mart srl: Register to get carbon credits, call to owners

www.isra-mart.com

Forest owners have until the end of this year to register for the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and take advantage of carbon credits for the past three years.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council is reminding those intending to enter the ETS scheme they need to register and identify their forest extents.

Forest owners can check dates and processes on the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry website.

Key dates for registrations are listed on the MAF website under Forestry/Forestry in the ETS and then look under Key Dates.

This applies to forests established before 1990 and those established since 1989.

These requirements largely mirror the rules under the Kyoto Protocol.

Owners of post-1989 forest land can enter the scheme and earn New Zealand Units (NZUs) as their forests grow.

Owners of pre-1990 forest land face obligations under the scheme if they opt to deforest, and receive a one-off allocation of NZUs to help offset the decrease in land value due to decreased land-use flexibility.

Old-growth indigenous forest that remains in forest is not subject to the rules of the ETS scheme.

More information about the ETS is on www.climatechange.govt.nz, the Government's climate-change website.

A map is a requirement of an ETS application and forest owners can register online on the MAF site and use the FREE online mapping tool provided.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council may be able to assist with maps, but has only limited aerial photo coverage for the years around 1989 and has limited resources for scanning and emailing or posting these.

Other helpful links available on www.maf.govt.nz:

A guide to mapping - look under News & Resources/ Publications and enter title: MappingForest for the Emissions Trading Scheme

A mapping tutorial video - look under Forestry/Forestry in the ETS, then go to the mapping tutorial basic guide

KEY DATES
September 30, 2011. Final date for applications for less than 50 hectare exemptions.

November 30, 2011. Final date for applications for an allocation of NZU under the Forestry Allocation Plan.

December 31, 2012. Final date for applications to join the ETS and become eligible to claim units for 2008-2012.Extent of forests needs to be identified