A short version of The Swedish Forestry Act             Read the full version Reforestation New forest must be planted or naturally generated after felling when the land’s capacity to produce timber is not fully exploited.  Planting or measures for natural regeneration must have been completed by the end of the third year after felling.   Disused agricultural land must be reforested within three years of the land falling into disuse. This does not, however, apply to land to be protected for its natural characteristics or its cultural heritage. Reliable methods and suitable species of trees must be used in the forestation work. Natural regeneration can be a good method if the site is suitable. Otherwise, the land must be sown or planted. Soil scarification is often a prerequisite for good results.   If there are insufficient numbers of seedlings, supplementary planting must take place before it is too late. Subsequent weeding and thinning may be necessary. Forest felling Thinning must encourage forest development. Timber stocks after thinning must be large enough to utilise the production capacity of the land. After thinning the trees must be evenly distributed on the area. Damage to trees and the ground must be avoided as far as possible. Regeneration felling must not be carried out until the forest has reached a certain age. For predominantly coniferous forests, the age varies between 45 and 100 years. Regeneration felling is restricted on forest holdings larger than 50 hectares. Up to half of the land may be made up of finally felled areas and of stands less than 20 years old. Additional rules apply to holdings larger than 1 000 hectares. Land with adverse regeneration conditions A permit is required for regeneration felling in the interior of Northern Sweden and on the islands of Öland and Gotland. Details of measures planned to secure regeneration and to safeguard the balance of nature, the cultural heritage and reindeer husbandry, must be given. Valuable hardwood species A permit is required for regeneration felling in forests that contain hardwood species such as beech, oak, ash, etc. Regeneration and conservation measures to be taken must be stated. Normally, a new hardwood species stand must be established after felling. Insect damage Insect pests breed in the bark of newly felled coniferous wood. Insect damage is controlled by removing damaged trees if they exceed 5 cubic metres per hectare. Unbarked conifers must not be stored in the forest or at the roadside during the summer. Nature conservation and cultural heritage Biological diversity in the forests must be preserved. At the same time, the cultural heritage must be safeguarded and social aspects must also be taken into consideration. Therefore, it is important that due care and attention is paid to all forestry measures. The most important considerations are: Do not create excessively large felling areas. Leave non-productive forest land untouched. Avoid damaging sensitive habitats and valuable historical sites. Be particularly careful when felling in areas rich in rare flora and fauna. Retain some deciduous trees in coniferous forests for the entire rotation period. Leave protective buffer zones adjacent to water, non-productive land, agricultural land and urban areas. Always leave a number of older trees standing on felling sites, preferably in groups. Plan felling and transport operations so as to avoid or limit damage to the land and water courses. Plan forest roads so as to minimise damage to the forest and safeguard the cultural heritage. The conservation requirements must not be so far-reaching that they make on-going forestry activities significantly more difficult. Where there is a choice of methods to be used, the promotion of biological diversity must always be given priority. Reindeer husbandry The size and locations of felling areas must be decided with due regard to reindeer husbandry. Futher consideration can be shown by leaving groups of trees standing on felling sites and on non-productive land, such as migration routes. Report on forest and environmental status All forest owners must prepare a status report on the forest and environment on their holdings. Information on felling possibilities, the need for regeneration measures and areas of importance for nature conservation and cultural heritage must be available. Production and conservation Production goals and conservation goals are both given equal importance in the revised Swedish Forestry Act of 1994. Forest owners have great responsibility for achieving these goals.  The Swedish Forest Agency work to implement the forest policy. Supervision of the Forestry Act is an important part of this work, as are various forest surveys, advisory services, and the administration of state subsidies to forest owners.  Furthermore, the Swedish Forest Agency is able to offer forest owners practical assistance on a number of different tasks, on a commercial basis. The Forestry Act sets out the demands placed on forest owners by society. These include the wood production levels that must be attained and the considerations that must be shown to nature conservation and the cultural heritage.  The Swedish Forest Agency are pleased to offer advice on how to meet and exceed the minimum requirements of the Act, both for production and conservation.  This may include how to regenerate new forest in a way that better utilizes the production capacity of the land, or how to pay greater consideration to conservation and the cultural heritage when felling. In addition to the Forestry Act, the Swedish Forest Agency is also responsible for enforcing the Environmental Code. Consultations must take place with the Agency when forestry measures significantly change the natural environment, for instance the construction of a logging road. The Swedish Forest Agency also have the power to protect small habitats with species of flora and fauna of special interest. Notification of regeneration felling Regeneration felling on sites larger than a half hectare must be notfied to the Swedish Forest Agency at least six weeks in advance. ‘Regeneration felling’ now replaces the term ‘final felling’, and includes all felling with the exception of thinning and cleaning.  Notification is made on a special form available from the Swedish Forest Agency. The area to be felled and the regeneration methods to be used must be specified.  A sketch of the area must be drawn on the form, or alternatively, a copy of a forest map, etc. should be attached. A description of the intended conservation measures to be used, and measures to protect the cultural heritage within the area, must also be stated.  Notification must also be given if the land is to be used for purposes other than timber production, i.e. if forest fuel is to be removed, if foreign tree species are planned be used, or in the event of pro-tective ditching. Ask the Swedish Forest Agency If you are uncertain about the demands placed by the Forestry Act on your forests, please ask the forestry adviser in your district.  The telephone number is in the telephone directory. You can also use the services offered by the Swedish Forest Agency across a wide range of different areas such as planning, valuation, marking, forestry and nature conservation measures. This text comes from a brochure that  is a translation of the Swedish version prepared for Swedish forest owners. If you want more information about the Swedish Forestry Act, please contact Swedish Forest Agency in Jönköping. Illustrations Jarl Holmström