Facts about the survey on cultural heritage sites
Every year, around 15 surveyors from the Swedish Forest Agency visit around 500 regeneration fellings where there are known cultural remains. They register the impact of felling on the cultural relic, the degree of damage and the cause of damage. In addition, measures taken to mark the cultural heritage site prior to felling and regeneration measures are also noted.
Cultural environment considerations in regeneration felling are conducted as random surveys of felling notifications where the felling has been conducted and there is a known and registered cultural heritage site. 500 objects will be raffled off in four parts of the country: Northern Norrland, Southern Norrland, Svealand and Götaland. The raffle will be divided equally between the owner categories, individual owners, and other owners. In cases where the number in any ownership category, in any part of the country, is not sufficient, lots are drawn among the felling notifications that exist. The raffle takes place among normal forest, montane forest, and deciduous forest.
Before field visits, known information about the object is noted, such as information about cultural heritage in the felling notification, contact with an authority (the Swedish Forest Agency, the County Administrative Board) or a museum, there is a message, decision from an authority and/or a note about field visits.
Definitions and explanations
Cultural heritage sites
Includes ancient monuments and other cultural-historical remains. In the forest, there may be ancient remains such as Stone Age settlements and graves, but also other younger cultural historical remains that talk about human history, such as charcoal bottoms (remains of charcoal kilns) and house foundations.
Degrees of damage
- None damage.
- Minor impact - e.g., light track damage, branches left.
- Damage - obvious damage that can be restored e.g., deep track damage, light soil scarification.
- Serious damage - irreversible damage that cannot be restored.
Influence of soil scarification and notation of planted cultural heritage sites
The proportion of impact from forest machines, soil scarification, logging residues, wind-felled trees, and notation of planted cultural remains is calculated on all inventoried regeneration fellings, regardless of whether the fellings have been subject to regeneration measures (soil scarification and planting) or not.
As of 2015, we note whether soil preparation and planting have been conducted at the time of the inventory.
Reported causes of damage
- Other forestry - impact from stump cutting, ditching, felling, and dragging damage. as well as logging residues and larger logging residues.
- Tracks - the impact of harvesters, forwarders, and soil scarification machines.
- Soil scarification - the influence of manual or mechanical soil scarification.
- Logging residues - must be actively created, branches, and tops from felled trees. The impact of logging residues is never considered to be serious damage, as the damage can theoretically always be repaired. The impact of logging residues and larger logging residues is reported under landings, where it is possible to report serious damage.
- Wind felled trees - trees on cultural heritage sites that have been blown over after felling with damage from the uprooted (root system) as a result.
- Planting - seedlings planted on cultural heritage sites or in a consideration area.
The highest level of damage is estimated
Since a cultural heritage site can be caused several damages, we choose the type of damage with the highest level of damage when calculating.
Cultural heritage stumps
A cultural heritage stump is 1.3 metres high (± 0.5 metres) and is used as a marker for cultural remains.
Since 2015, 5 different markings have been defined in the survey:
- The cultural relic is marked with a single cultural heritage stump.
- Cultural heritage stumps stand on the cultural relic.
- Cultural heritage stumps are correctly placed, outside and around the cultural site.
- Other clear markings (sticks, signs, high stumps used to mark the cultural site).
- No markings, the cultural environment is not marked with cultural heritage stumps or anything else.
Surrounding consideration areas
An area within an ancient monument area subject to a condition imposed by the County Administrative Board. The area of conditions corresponds to the area decided by the County Administrative Board for the protection of the ancient monument.
Parts of the country
- Northern Norrland (Norrbotten and Västerbotten counties)
- Southern Norrland (rest of Norrland)
- Svealand
- Götaland
Ownership classes
- Individual owners: natural persons, estates of deceased persons and companies that are not limited liability companies.
- Other owners: the state, state-owned limited liability companies, other public owners, privately owned limited liability companies and other private owners.