Continued decrease in area of forest notified for final felling

Nyhet | Statistik - 14 June 2022

In May 2022 the area covered by notifications and applications for permits of final felling was down by 10 percent compared with May 2021, according to new statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency. The area covered by applications in montane forests was 13 percent smaller compared to May last year.

The total area covered by applications and notifications in May for the whole country amounted to 19,185 hectares, which was 10 percent less than in May 2021. Of this area, applications for permits for final felling of montane forest amounted to 433 hectares, which was 13 percent less than the same month last year.

Large increases in Stockholm and Uppsala counties

In Stockholm and Uppsala counties, the area notified and applied for final felling increased by 133 and 129 percent respectively in May, compared with May 2021. In 16 of 21 counties, however, the area decreased compared with May 2021. In seven counties, the decreases were over 26 percent. The largest decreases were in Kalmar, Örebro and Skåne counties, with decreases of 47, 45 and 44 percent, respectively, compared with May 2021.

In total, the area notified and applied for final felling in May decreased by 29 percent in Götaland compared with May last year. In Southern and Northern Norrland, the area decreased by 9 and 8 percent, respectively. Despite large increases in Stockholm and Uppsala counties, the area in Svealand increased by only 8 percent, as the area in the region's other four counties decreased by between 7 and 45 percent.

Compared with the average area covered by notifications and applications for the whole country in May over the past ten years, the decrease is 6 percent. Compared with the last five years, the decrease is 4 percent.

So far this year, the area covered by notifications and applications has decreased by 13 percent

During January to May, notifications and applications for permits for final felling have decreased by 13 percent compared with the same period last year. Applications for permits for final felling of montane forests have decreased by 49 percent.

In Götaland, the notified and applied area has decreased by 30 percent and in Southern Norrland by 13 percent. In Svealand and in Northern Norrland the area covered by notifications and applications are more or less unchanged compared with the first five months of the year 2021 (0 and 1 percent, respectively).

Compared with the average area covered by notifications and applications for the whole country the first five months of the year over the past ten years, the decrease is 7 percent. Compared with the last five years, the decrease is 10 percent.

Statistics refer to total notifications and applications for permission on productive forest land for final felling in montane forest and valuable broad-leaved forest.