Notified area for felling for December decreased compared with the same period 2022

Nyhet | Statistik - 15 January 2024

The latest statistics from the Swedish Forest Agency show that the area notified for felling in December decreased 20 percent, compared to December 2022. The area regarding applications for permits for final felling in montane forests however, increased by 18 percent, compared to the same month last year.

Experience has shown that statistics regarding notifications and applications can vary from month to month due to the forestry planning of various stakeholders. It is therefore important to be careful when analyzing the monthly data and to not draw conclusions about the planned felling.

The area of notified logging and permits applied for was 16,046 hectares in December, which was a decrease of 20 percent, compared to December 2022. Of this area, applications for permits for final felling of montane forests represented 392 hectares, compared with 323 hectares in the same month last year.

Compared to the average area of notifications and applications for the country in December over the previous five years, this is a decrease of 23 percent. Compared to the average area for the previous ten years, this is a decrease of 24 percent.

Notifications and applications on the regional level in December

In total, the area of notifications and applications increased in December for Northern Norrland while it decreased for the rest of the country, compared with December last year.

• Northern Norrland – decrease by 1,160 hectares (-27 percent)
• Southern Norrland – decrease by 595 hectares (-13 percent)
• Svealand – decrease by 1,826 hectares (-32 percent)
• Götaland – decrease by 312 hectares (-6 percent)

In 2023, the area covered by notifications and applications has increased by 9 percent

In 2023, the area of notifications and applications for permits for final felling was 261,944 hectares, which is an increase of 9 percent, compared to the same period last year. In 2023, the area of applications for permits for final felling of montane forests was 12,533 hectares, for the corresponding period last year the area was 5,967 hectares.

In Northern Norrland, the area notified and applied for has increased by 38 percent and in Götaland by 17 percent. In Southern Norrland the area decreased by 1 percent and in Svealand by 7 percent, compared to the same period 2022.

Compared to the average area of notifications and applications for the country for the entire year for the previous five years, it is a decrease of 4 percent. Compared to the previous ten years, it is a decrease of 3 percent.

Explanation

An increase or decrease in notifications and applications for permits for final felling does not necessarily mean that the area of actual final felling has increased or decreased to the same extent.

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