The church’s forest ownership has long been a debated issue. There is now an investigation into the sustainability of the Church of Sweden’s forestry, where the final report is to be submitted this autumn.
In Luleå Diocese, a total of 60,000 hectares of land is managed, approximately half of which, according to the Diocese, can be used for forestry.
But a nomination group wants to protect and preserve the Church of Sweden’s continuity forests where several motions had been submitted in the matter. But all the motions were rejected when the diocesan council in Luleå diocese was held this weekend.
– I didn’t get many counterarguments, but still the motions were voted down. The Church of Sweden is a church, it is not a profit-making company that must make a short-term profit. The Church of Sweden must take care of life, the earth and the rights of the Sami, this is not what I believe in, says Ulrika Karlsson, Synod representative for Heaven and Earth.
“Have a different forestry”
Anders Landström, Diocese forester and the person responsible for the forest within Luleå Diocese, disagrees.
– Luleå Diocese conducts relatively careful forestry, we harvest approximately 0.7 percent of the area that we intend to use annually. We have a different approach to forestry than many others, he says.
So that you get away with the fact that there are others who are worse?
– No, we must have sustainable forestry and we think Luleå Diocese stands for that.
Going to meet the Sami villages
In connection with the church apologizing to the Sami people, there was a lot of criticism regarding the forests from the Sami side. The Church of Sweden’s forestry destroys the reindeer industry. And several urged that the church should take action around the forests if they are serious about the apology.
– A first step is that we have certified our forestry according to FSC and it is partly about co-planning with the reindeer husbandry. We have had consultations in the past, but co-planning covers all land within Luleå district and now we are meeting with the Sami villages to set up the rules of the game for what we will discuss, says Landström.