Transcript Kevin Cashx
Twenty years of sustainable land management in the Taranaki hillcountry Kevin Cash Hillcountry Land Management Officer Taranaki Regional Council Overview • Early nineties, Taranaki issues, Makahu case study. • Comprehensive farm plans • Afforestation grant scheme • South Taranaki and regional erosion support scheme Hillcountry erosion and soils • Issue: Loss of the soil’s productive capacity through accelerated erosion • Understanding landforms and environment basis for land use capability classification system and treatment measures • Principally mass movement, stream incision, slumping/ earthflow on land disturbed by earthquake-triggered slope collapse • Variable ash cover on sedimentary rocks • Hill soils weathered from sedimentary rocks where ash stripped • Skeletal soils where hill soils disturbed Makahu Farm case study • New era, early 90’s subsidy free • Aim to apply results of pasture growth and soil erosion research into farming system – Eroded areas (even after 40years) have much lower levels of production than non eroded areas– especially summer peak growth – Pasture trials key results - Soil erosion is having a significant effect reducing present and potential pasture production on slopes > 280 LUC mapping at farm level Evaluation • Used economic analysis to evaluate long and short term viability of management options • Evaluate combined livestock farming and forestry to achieve sustainable land use • Local pasture production data for each land class • Agroforestry Estate Model (AEM) • Stockpol Hopkirk property Where to from here? • Case study and review of sustainable land use classification in Taranaki • Encapsulated into comprehensive farm plans and agroforestry plans which are being prepared 1990s-present Comprehensive farm plans • • • • • • • Understanding physical resource Land use capability mapping Dry matter production Recommendations Implementation – annual visits Relationship building, working with farmers Agroforestry plans/carbon assessments • Increased implementation AGS and STRESS Numbers • 335 farm plans prepared • 57 agroforestry plans prepared • Increase of over 500% of plan coverage since 1995 • Eastern Hillcountry, 55% of the region’s land area equating to 400,000 ha (286,000 ha in private ownership) • 65% (185,000 ha) is covered by property plans under the Council’s Sustainable Land Management Programme TRC poplar and willow nursery est 2007 Afforestation grant scheme • AGS, regional pool funding • 732 hectares of exotic forestry established over the duration of the scheme • 60 hectares of native reversion. • Total of 792 hectares exceeding $1.5million dollars STRESS!!! South Taranaki and regional erosion support scheme • Poplar and willow pole planting for soil conservation. • Forestry establishment of less than five hectares per landholder • Reversion/retirement/forestry fencing grants Waitotara catchment • 118,300ha in Waitotara catchment 16% region 80,000 ha farmed • Storms 1869, 1891, 1903, 1904, 1924, 1936, 1971, 1990 • 1999, 2004, 2006 Implementation next 20 years • Identifying the resource (comprehensive plan) • Understanding the properties resource • Matching land use with land type • Mitigation of erosion through soil conservation, improvement in water quality • Concentration of resources into more productive land Implementation next 20 years • Identifying alternative land uses eg forestry, Carbon farming, honey, QEII • STRESS, long may it continue • Linked to fresh water plan, soil plan and SEM monitoring Questions