world news - 06.04.2010
Sweden – Sveaskog sets aside 80 000 ha forest land
Particular priority has been given to
the interim target of long-term protection of valuable forests, which
comes under the environmental quality objective Sustainable Forests.
The target specifies that 900 000 hectares of productive forest land of
high nature conservation value is to be exempted from forestry by 2010.
Of this, 500 000 hectares is to be achieved by voluntary set-asides by
forest owners and 400 000 hectares by various forms of long-term state
protection, such as nature reserves, biotope protection and nature
conservation agreements.
The Government has increased appropriations for work on biodiversity
from SEK 6 billion in 2003-2006 to SEK 7.5 billion under the Alliance
Government. Supplementary methods have been developed, such as
increased dialogue and participation in voluntary protection schemes.
State-owned land is being used. First, valuable natural forests owned
by Sveaskog were protected (60 000 hectares). Subsequently, land of
high natural value owned by the National Property Board and the Swedish
Fortifications Agency has been protected (51 000 hectares). "The royal
road to protection cannot be compulsory purchases of private landowners
property. Instead, we have focused primarily on state-owned land," says
Mr Carlgren, Minister for the Environment.
The Government is therefore now taking the next step. Sveaskog AB is
setting aside land for compensation purposes to protect 80 000 hectares
of forest that deserves protection and is owned by private landowners
and companies. The land set aside for compensation will be supplied to
the state by distribution from Sveaskog, either in the form of land or
of a company with land. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and
the county administrative boards concerned will conduct the exchanges
of land and protect forests identified as having high natural value.
The land now being protected has not previously had long-term
protection.
In total, this means 191 000 hectares of state-owned land has now been
used for forest protection. If the land had been bought from the
companies in the usual way this would have cost the equivalent of close
to SEK 10 billion.
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