Forestry is about how people plan, establish, manage, protect, and use forests and trees.
In New Zealand, forestry is closely connected to our country's unique landscapes, environmental challenges, and land uses. It includes:
New Zealand has around 10 million hectares of forests. They cover around 38% of our country's land. In New Zealand we separate our forest into two main groups: native forests, which are generally for conservation purposes, and exotic plantation forest, which are primarily for timber production.
We have 8 million hectares of native (indigenous) forest in New Zealand. These forests are made up of indigenous tree species, such as kauri, rimu, and totara. Many of these species are only found in New Zealand, and they provide habitat for other native plants and animals that only live here too.
Less than 0.01% of harvested wood in New Zealand comes from native forests. This is because they are protected from widespread harvesting and milling through the Forests Act. However, under the Forests Act, some sustainable harvesting and milling can happen in limited circumstances.
Exotic plantation forests cover about 1.82 million hectares of land in New Zealand. These forests are mainly grown to produce timber, fibre, and other wood products. They supply almost all of New Zealand’s commercially harvested wood with production volumes far exceeding domestic demand.
Exotic tree species were introduced to New Zealand from other countries. Unlike native species, they do not grow here naturally. Radiata pine is the most common species, making up about 90% of our plantation forests. Other species include Douglas fir, eucalyptus, and cypress.
Forestry can have different purposes depending on the land, the forest, and the owner's goals.
Production forestry involves growing trees that will be harvested and processed into products such as timber, paper, panels, and bioenergy.
In New Zealand, production forestry is mainly based on exotic plantation forests. Our wood processing industry turns logs from production forests into products for construction, manufacturing, and more.
Read more about the wood processing sector and what it produces.
Native forestry focuses on maintaining, protecting, restoring, and managing indigenous forests. These forests are important for biodiversity, cultural values, and environmental protection.
Managing native forests includes caring for existing indigenous forests and growing new ones through planting or natural regeneration.
Different approaches can be used to establish and manage forests. These approaches include continuous cover forestry, agroforestry, farm forestry, restoration forestry, and other management systems.
Forestry contributes to New Zealand in many ways.
Forests provide a range of environmental benefits. They help reduce erosion, improve water quality, store carbon, provide habitat for native species, and contribute to more resilient landscapes.
Organic matter from trees, like twigs and leaves, protect soil. This helps it hold moisture and reduce flood flows. Tree roots and organic matter also act as a filter for water, trapping sediment and absorbing chemicals before they reach our rivers.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide, reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. This helps us manage the effects of climate change.
Forests contribute to people's wellbeing by providing places for recreation, connection with nature, and cultural activities. They also provide shade, shelter, cleaner air, and attractive landscapes for communities.
Forests and trees can also provide benefits within productive rural landscapes. They can shelter livestock, stabilise erosion-prone land, protect waterways, and diversify farm income.
Forestry and wood processing provide jobs throughout the country. The sector supports more than 40,000 people working in planting, harvesting, transport, processing, engineering, and support services.
Forestry products are also an important export earner. In 2025, forestry exports were worth about $6.3 billion.
Landowners with eligible forests may be able to earn New Zealand Units (NZUs) through the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). These units, sometimes called carbon credits, recognise the carbon stored by growing forests and can be sold or retained, depending on the owner's objectives.
We use wood from exotic forests for construction, packaging, pulp and paper products, panels, energy, and many other products. Around 30 to 35 million cubic metres of wood is harvested in New Zealand each year, depending on market conditions.
Find out about the types of products we make from trees.
Forests grow across New Zealand, although their distribution varies. Exotic forests are common in the central North Island, East Coast, upper South Island, and parts of Southland and Otago.
Before humans arrived here, over 80% of New Zealand was covered in native forest. Now, most native forests are in steep and mountainous areas, mainly on conservation land. Very little native forest remains in lowland, coastal and wetland areas.
Forestry activities must follow environmental rules and good management practices.
Commercial forestry activities are regulated under the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry. These rules help manage the environmental effects of forestry activities, including impacts on soil, water, landscapes, and biodiversity
Every region has a different forestry story. Climate, land type, infrastructure, and local history influence how forests are grown and managed. Our regional forestry fact sheets have information about forest area, species, employment, and trends in each part of New Zealand.