In the environmental goals report for Jämtland County, it is stated that none of the twelve environmental goals set for the year 2030 will be reached if the development continues as it is now. Most serious is the situation for the biological diversity in the forest. The environmental goal for the forest will also not be reached as far as the country as a whole is concerned. At the same time, this is shown by the Norwegian Forestry Agency’s nationwide report that came out recently.
Protected forest is felled
On the part of the environmental organizations, they believe that the reports give them – and several researchers – the right in their long-standing criticism: that forests worthy of protection are still being felled. Today, only up to 15 percent of natural forest remains in Sweden; forests with high natural values, which have never been cleared.
Forest biologist Sebastian Kirppu, has worked with nature value assessments at a forest company, but is now active in the association Protect the Forest. On the day SVT meets him, he is teaching three interns to assess natural values in a forest area with old pine forest outside Börtnan in Berg municipality.
Criticism against a lack of assessment of forests
However, there are divided opinions on how the assessment should be made of a forest to determine whether it is worth protecting or not.
Parts of the forest area in question in Börtnan have been designated by the forestry company SCA, which owns the forest, as worthy of protection (ie as a key biotope), while other parts of the forest area have been notified for felling. Something that receives strong criticism from Sebastian Kirppu.
– Everything here is natural forest and should not be felled, he says.
See what it looks like in the forest outside Börtnan in the video above – and hear forest biologist Sebastian Kirppu both give his view on the matter and respond to criticism about “species fixation”.