Continued larger notified area for final felling

Nyhet | Statistik - 14 December 2021

During November 2021, the area in notifications and applications for final felling increased by 7 percent compared with November last year. This is a four percentage point increase compared to the average area for November over the past 10 years. This according to statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency. The area applied for final felling of montane forests in November 2021 was 91 percent larger than in November last year.

Notifications and applications so far this year

The total area in notifications and applications during the first eleven months of the year amounted to 263,402 hectares. This is 4 per cent more than the same period in 2020. Applications for felling of montane forests during January to November amounted to 10,927 hectares, which is 13 per cent smaller area than the same period in 2020. See Table 1.

In Götaland, the forest owners have so far this year notified and applied for final felling on 17 percent larger area than last year. In Svealand, the area has increased by 9 percent. In Southern and Northern Norrland, notified and applied area decreased by 2 and 9 percent, respectively.

The increase in Halland County is slowing down

At county level, the total notified and applied area increased in 17 of 21 counties during the first eleven months of 2021. The largest increase is in Halland County, with 57 percent. However, the increase has slowed compared with the notified area for October, 68 percent. This is followed by Stockholm and Jönköping counties with increases of 33 and 28 percent, respectively. The largest decrease are in the counties of Västerbotten and Gävleborg, 16 and 14 per cent, respectively, compared with the first eleven months of 2020.

The area in applications for final felling in montane forests during the first eleven months of the year is 467 percent larger in Dalarna in 2021 compared with the same period in 2020. In Jämtland County, the increase is 57 percent for the corresponding period. In Norrbotten and Västerbotten, on the other hand, applications have decreased by 37 and 40 percent, respectively.

Table 1. Area of notifications and applications for final felling permits for the whole country, hectares     

Notification and application	January-November 2020	January-November 2021	Change
Notifications for final felling in normal forest	233 556	245 138	5%
Notifications for felling for other purposes than forestry in normal forest	5 339	6 073	14%
Applications for permit of final felling in montane forest	12 610	10 927	-13%
Application for permit of felling for other purpose than forestry in montane forest.	110	97	-12%
Applications for permit of final felling in valuable broad leaved forest	793	1 091	38%
Application for permit of felling for other purpose than forestry in valuable broad leaved forest	55	73	34%
Total area notified and applied for	252 462	263 399	4%
Total area notified and applied for excluding montane forest	239 742	252 375	5%

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

The survey is part of Official Statistics of Sweden.