Why map a forest?

Mapping a forest provides many benefits to forest owners. It can save you money by ensuring accurate forecasting - meaning you'll only ever have to pay contractors for the correct area they work on. Maps also allow you to plan the harvest and identify any previously unknown costs (like bridges, new roads, access, etc). You can optimise road locations and identify any legal or boundary issues before they become a burden. And PF Olsen Land Information maps are very handy when applying for resource consents.

There are many reasons why forest owners map their forest, and the obvious benefits are endless:

Forecasting Benefits

Maps provide an accurate definition of the planted/stocked area.

Budgets, forest valuations and yield and volume predictions all rely on stocked areas. An inaccurate stocked area statement will impact on all of these.

PF Olsen's experience indicates that almost all forest owners think they own more forest than they actually do. It is best to know what you own early, in order to achieve a realistic expectation of returns.

Most forest operations are paid on a per-stocked hectare basis. Accurate stocked areas ensure contractors are paid fairly and the risk of overpayment is removed.

Planning Benefits

Maps play a vital role in planning, tracking, recording and reporting operations that are performed on a forest.

Maps are an important tool for harvest planning and engineering. If there is no map then there is no efficient way of planning and optimising road and skid locations as well as hauler locations and setting boundaries. Better mapping reduces costly field validation and ensures that roads and landing are constructed exactly in the right place. PF Olsen Harvest Planner, Rob Dunn, says they also highlight areas of environmental and historic value so that these areas are not damaged. This extra planning can save forest owners a lot of money over the job.

Damage to areas of high environmental and historical significance carry heavy penalties so these areas must be identified before forest operations begin.

Legal Benefits

Maps are helpful in cases where legal boundaries may not line up with planted boundaries. Maps help determine if there are trees planted on neighbouring properties. It is important that these issues are identified and resolved before costly operations are performed on the forest or before harvesting begins. It also avoids any risk of court action being taken against the tree crop owners for harvesting trees that do not belong to them.

Maps provide excellent support for resource consent applications. A clear map attached to a resource consent application allows the local authority to clearly see what the proposed activity is and where it is to be performed. This improves the likelihood of the application being approved more quickly and with fewer conditions.

What Land Information services does PF Olsen provide?

The services available from PF Olsen's Land Information include:

aerial photography and interpretation

forest mapping

geographic information systems (GIS)

stand record management, including storage of inventory data

auditing of existing forest maps

digitising

GPS (global positioning system) surveys

area measurement and assessment

data capture.

Why choose PF Olsen?

Given the inarguably vital role of maps in forestry operations, PF Olsen has been quick to ensure it provides leading-edge forest mapping services. The PF Olsen team work closely with forest owners to investigate the option of mapping their forest in order to maximise their harvest returns, and minimise any harvest risks. We constantly strive to be at the leading edge of technology, which means you can be assured of getting the most accurate and cost-effective mapping and land information possible. And because we always work with your harvest returns in mind, you can be assured any recommendations and advice given is provided with your best interests at heart.