New Zealand Journal of Forestry (2017) 62(3): 12–15
©New Zealand Institute of Forestry

Professional Paper
Why can’t I see the forest for the cows - arboreal solutions for New Zealand’s water quality crisis

Russell Death <sup>*,1

1</sup> Co-Convenor, Innovative River Solutions Centre, Institute of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North. Email: r.g.death@massey.ac.nz
^*Corresponding author.

Abstract: The ecological health of many waterways in New Zealand has declined dramatically over the past 25 years, predominantly as a result of the intensification of dairy farming. The utilisation of land for production forestry has considerably less, long-term deleterious impacts on water quality and ecological health and may provide part of the solution for cleaner New Zealand waterways. Although forest harvesting, particularly on steep hillslopes, does provide some environmental risk these effects can be managed and/or very short lived. The benefits of forestry for better waterway management needs to be considered more widely in the debate around better water management in New Zealand.
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