News
Update: November 2024
General
A management decision by the forest owners was made earlier this year to rename some of our forests that shared contiguous forest boundaries to help avoid confusion. As a result the following forests have been renamed:
General
A management decision by the forest owners was made earlier this year to rename some of our forests that shared contiguous forest boundaries to help avoid confusion. As a result the following forests have been renamed:
Harvesting
2024 has seen harvesting operations in the following forests:
Establishment
500 hectares of cutover was re-planted and fertilised during the winter season 2024 across several different forests.
SWEL/SPFL is planning to re-establish a further 500 ha of cutover in the 2025 season with land preparation operations already underway.
Forest Health and Biodiversity
SPFL in conjunction with the Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) and Scion continue to fund and support work around introducing the biocontrol agent Eadya paropsidis, a parasitic wasp for the control against the defoliating pest Paropsis charybdis or eucalyptus tortoise beetle. Results to date have looked very promising with final testing against the potential of the wasp to attack non-targeted native and beneficial insects completed. A trial release of parasitised paropsis larvae were released across several forest sites in Dec 2022 and Dec 2023 and will be monitored for success during the next few summers.
Nesting Falcon pairs have been ever-present in the cutover & newly planted area. The falcons take refuge and build their nests in the windrows that SWEL created prior to establishment. These provide a great habitat for this nationally endangered species.
Forest Access by Public
Numerous people were granted access permits for SWEL managed forests this year. This included access for hunting, bee keeping and other recreational activities.
2024 has seen harvesting operations in the following forests:
- Braxton Forest (Hamilton Burn)
- Lillburn Forest (Lillburn Valley, Western Southland)
- Groveburn Forest (Western Southland)
- McConnell & Wairaki Forests (Blackmount, Western Southland)
- Happy Valley & Merrivale Forests (Longwoods, Western Southland)
- Fortification Forest (Waimahaka, Eastern Southland)
- Tinker Forest (Mimihau, Eastern Southland)
- Wylie & Voice Forests (Catlins, Eastern Southland)
- Andrew Forest (Otipiri Gorge, Central Southland)
- English Forest (Castledowns, Northern Southland)
Establishment
500 hectares of cutover was re-planted and fertilised during the winter season 2024 across several different forests.
SWEL/SPFL is planning to re-establish a further 500 ha of cutover in the 2025 season with land preparation operations already underway.
Forest Health and Biodiversity
SPFL in conjunction with the Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) and Scion continue to fund and support work around introducing the biocontrol agent Eadya paropsidis, a parasitic wasp for the control against the defoliating pest Paropsis charybdis or eucalyptus tortoise beetle. Results to date have looked very promising with final testing against the potential of the wasp to attack non-targeted native and beneficial insects completed. A trial release of parasitised paropsis larvae were released across several forest sites in Dec 2022 and Dec 2023 and will be monitored for success during the next few summers.
Nesting Falcon pairs have been ever-present in the cutover & newly planted area. The falcons take refuge and build their nests in the windrows that SWEL created prior to establishment. These provide a great habitat for this nationally endangered species.
Forest Access by Public
Numerous people were granted access permits for SWEL managed forests this year. This included access for hunting, bee keeping and other recreational activities.