In New Zealand, care is taken during the harvesting of sphagnum moss (not to be confused with moss peat) to ensure that there is enough moss remaining to allow regrowth. This is commonly done using a 3 year cycle. If a good percentage of moss is not left for regrowth, the time that it takes for the swamp to revert to its original state can be up to a decade or more if serious damage has occurred.

This "farming" as done in New Zealand is based on a sustainable management program approved by New Zealand's Department of Conservation. This plan ensures the regeneration of the moss, while protecting the wildlife and the environment. Most harvesting in New Zealand swamps is done only using pitchforks without the use of heavy machinery. During transportation, helicopters are commonly employed to transfer the newly harvested moss from the swamp to the nearest road. This is an important component of the transportation process, as it prevents damage to other components of the ecosystem during the initial transportation phase. The removal of sphagnum moss in a managed environment does not cause a swamp to dry out. In fact the swamp environment is improved such that the regrown moss is normally better quality than the original moss that was removed.

The greatest threat to the existence of sphagnum moss swamps is the intentional draining for encroaching farmland.