The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry says its three-week roadshow aimed at talking to people in forestry about the Government's scheme to reduce carbon emissions was a huge success.
Exotic forests planted before 1990 are regarded by the Government as a significant storehouse of carbon but also a potential source of carbon emissions if the trees are felled and the land is not replanted.
Forest owners have the choice of accepting a one-off allocation of free carbon credits from the Government or applying for an exemption from penalties under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
The ministry's sustainable programmes manager, Clive Lilley, says that more than 1200 people attended the 26 seminars, the last of which was held in Christchurch on Tuesday.
