Plantation managers shall maintain or enhance soil quality and minimise soil erosion for the purpose of maintaining site productivity and water quality. Forestry operations shall be conducted in a manner that safeguards stream margins and water bodies with the objective of achieving healthy aquatic ecosystems. Any applications of agrichemicals, including fertiliser, will be undertaken in a manner to avoid adverse environmental effects. Resource, Energy, and Waste Management Plantation managers will, to the best of their ability, conduct forestry operations in an energy and resource efficient manner, minimising and disposing of waste in an environmentally acceptable way. Agrichemicals, Biological Control, Pests Animal and plant pests can substantially reduce crop productivity and therefore should be controlled.
Plantations can also harbour weeds and other pests that can spread to nearby natural areas.
The application of agrichemicals should be conducted according to the New Zealand Agrichemical Users Code of Practice and minimised to levels essential for ensuring a commercially viable crop without causing adverse environmental effects. An integrated management approach to pest control will be adopted recognising that pest problems can be minimised by appropriate management regimes. Pest control methods should have minimal and environmentally acceptable impacts on non-target species. Biological control agents and the introduction of other new organisms are limited to those that have been screened for non-target impacts and a precautionary approach taken with respect to potential adverse environmental effects. Social Public Access Access to some plantation forests for recreation is important to the general public.