Sep 24, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. National says if it is elected to government it will turn around the current rates of deforestation in New Zealand, The National Business review reported. National's forestry spokesman Shane Ardern said every year between 1951 and 2003 New Zealand planted more trees than it cut down. "But in the past four years, deforestation has run out of control," Mr Ardern said. "In 2007, a shocking 35 percent of felled forests were not replanted. This deforestation is a direct consequence of Labour's disastrous forestry and climate change policies which have alienated and divided the forestry industry." Mr Ardern said a National government would: - establish a forestry offset scheme, subject to an assessment of its costs; - negotiate to include offset schemes for plantation forests in international climate change agreements; - encourage tree planting in small forests and farms; and - streamline and simplify the Resource Management Act.