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CFRT research and mapping

The Crown Forestry Rental Trust funds eligible claimant research and mapping where claims involve or could involve Crown forest licensed land.

Its research programme has included:

  • district research
  • claimant-specific research
  • traditional/oral history work
  • land alienation reports
  • public works and Native Land Court research
  • document banks/register searches
  • mapping scoping and map books

CFRT research activities

Public availability varies

CFRT explains that generic overview map books filed for Tribunal hearings can enter the public domain, while claimant-specific map books may remain owned by claimants. Do not assume every CFRT-funded map has a public download URL.

For public filed research, search the relevant Waitangi Tribunal inquiry/ROI. The Tribunal record is often the easiest public path to a commissioned report that has been filed in evidence.

Crown forest licensed land

CFRT publishes some current/public maps and information relating to Crown Forest Licensed Land and settlement processes. Use the date of the map because the redress/ownership status of licensed land changes as settlements proceed.

Funding context

The Trust's 2025 claimant guide explicitly includes research and mapping among fundable activities for eligible Approved Clients, including imagery/datasets and mapping for research reports.

Use CFRT as a research source where relevant; do not present its claimant eligibility/funding rules as a general GIS programme.

Last reviewed: 26 August 2026