Large increase in compensation in mountainous forests

Luleå In 2023, the Swedish Forest Agency paid out almost SEK 309 million (EUR 27.4 million) in compensation to landowners who were denied logging in mountainous areas due to high nature values.

This is an increase of 25 percent compared to the previous year. But at the same time, the area protected was the lowest since 1998.

Since 2020, the Swedish Forest Agency has paid compensation for trespass to landowners who have been denied permission to harvest in areas close to the mountains, after a court ruling has given the landowners the right to do so. The system has been applied since 2020.

The largest part of the area that has received encroachment compensation in the mountains until 2023 is in the counties of Västerbotten (62%) and Jämtland (36%). The remaining 2% is distributed between the counties of Dalarna and Norrbotten.

Lennart Håkansson

editor@northswedenbusiness.com