Global Insights for New Zealand Forestry: Rachel Millar’s Transformative Study Tour
New Zealand Forest Owners Association (NZFOA) environment manager Rachel Millar recently returned from an extensive study tour funded by the WIDE Trust. Her journey across Tasmania, Canada, the United States, and East Texas provided firsthand exposure to leading-edge practices and innovations in sustainable forest management. These insights are already seeding conversations on how to enhance forest practices, drive economic growth, and build resilience against climatic events here in New Zealand.
Exploring Innovative Forest Practices Down Under
Rachel’s tour began in April 2024 with an enlightening visit to Tasmania. Meeting with scientists and subject matter experts at the Forest Practices Authority (FPA), she learned about their impressive, state-wide, science-based Forest Practices Plans.
“The FPA administers Forest Practices Plans in the region,” Rachel explains. “The rules are easily interpreted by regulators and practitioners while being flexible enough to cover site-specific plans for most situations.”
She also connected with Forico, a global leader in natural capital accounting.
“I learnt about their use of natural capital metrics which are featured in Forico’s annual reports, detailing their impact and dependencies on the environment. These reports paint a strong picture of the environmental contribution from the forestry sector and are a powerful tool for improving their social licence to operate.”
Learning from the Northern Hemisphere
The tour then moved to North America, where Rachel experienced contrasting approaches in the USA and Canada. In British Columbia, she met community foresters, commercial foresters, communications experts, and climate scientists.
“The main social licence and climate adaptation concerns there centred around wildfire, with forests in Canada being viewed as net emitters.”
In Washington and Oregon, Rachel engaged with foresters and regulators, gaining insights into how stringent regulations, despite their onerous nature, have led to robust practices with no litigation.
“It was interesting to learn that although their regulations are quite onerous there has been no litigation.”
A visit to a large Sierra Pacific mill left her astonished.
“From conception to operation, the mill took just 8 months to establish, this was really unbelievable to me because things are so very obstructive for wood processors here.”
For the final leg in the USA, Rachel ventured to East Texas, where she observed a vastly different regulatory environment:
“Here, the settings are very different, there are no regulations, only voluntary good practice guides. I learnt about the techniques that foresters are applying to generate greater resilience to cyclones, for example trialling different planting densities, thinning regimes and species mixes. I was also fascinated in Texas to learn that very little woody debris is left behind – the size of the wood that is being sold was quite unbelievable.”
Bridging Global Practices to New Zealand
Throughout her tour, Rachel observed how global forestry practices address social licence issues and manage environmental challenges. She witnessed innovative approaches, from proactive community education initiatives in the Pacific Northwest, where 110,000 fourth grade pupils toured dedicated educational forests, to collaborative frameworks in Washington where diverse groups shape forest regulations through collaboration. “Primary sector land managers work together to generate the best returns and most sustainable outcomes at a landscape level. Land use is not compartmentalised into forestry, farmland like it can be here, forests are used for multiple purposes and primary sector land managers work in collaboration.”
“There is a drive in the parts of the world that I visited to build using wood wherever possible, as people highly value the environmental benefits wood provides over other building materials,” she notes. “People in these areas understand that carbon is embodied in the wooden products they use in their everyday lives. This is a message that is often overlooked in New Zealand and one we should strive to promote.”
Rachel’s tour also highlighted the importance of adapting to natural hazards. In East Texas, she learned that early results from new planting and thinning regimes are already showing promise in mitigating hurricane impacts, practices that could be implemented in New Zealand to enhance resilience against cyclones.
Overcoming Challenges and Looking Ahead
Despite a demanding year at FOA, including significant staffing changes, an increased policy workload, and balancing the responsibilities of a widowed mum to three boys, Rachel’s determination and passion for forestry shone through. Although unforeseen circumstances delayed part of her planned visit to Brazil and Chile, she remains eager to explore those regions in the future.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the WIDE Trust for this once in a lifetime opportunity and the insights the study tour has generated for forestry in New Zealand. I’m looking forward to applying these learnings here to affect positive change for forestry now and in the future.”
Rachel plans to share her learnings at the FGR conference and through articles in the FOA bulletin, ensuring that the best practices and innovative ideas she encountered are disseminated throughout the industry.
Are You Ready to Lead Change?
The WIDE Trust Best Practice Study Tour grant is designed for professionals in the forestry and wood industries who want to drive innovation and sustainable practices. This travel grant of up to NZD $30,000 covers travel and accommodation for an international study tour of no less than two weeks, offering you the chance to explore global best practices and return with actionable insights.
If you’re a New Zealand resident at a senior management level in forestry or the wood industries, and you’re eager to lead change and implement innovative approaches in your business, consider applying for the Best Practice Study Tour grant. Applications close on 31st July annually for study tours to be undertaken in the following calendar year.