Notification of regeneration felling in normal forests

In 2024, the total area concerning notification of regeneration felling in normal forests was 227,025 hectares.

Notifications from individual forest owners accounted for 133,972 hectares, which was 9 percent less than in 2023. Notifications from other owners accounted for 93,053 hectares, which was 2 percent less than for the previous year. Over the past nine years, notifications from individual forest owners have accounted for a larger area than other forest owners. As shown in Figure 3, the area of notifications for individual forest owners varies more from year to year than it does for other forest owners.

In this context, normal forest refers to normal forest according to Section 14 of the Forestry Act, which means forest on land that is suitable for wood production and that is not used to a significant extent for other purposes.

Notified area for regeneration felling decreased in 2024 by 4 percent in Northern Norrland and by 11 percent in Götaland and Svealand. In Southern Norrland, the area notified for regeneration felling increased by 3 percent.

Applications for permits for regeneration felling in montane forests

In 2024, the Swedish Forest Agency received applications for permits for regeneration felling in montane forests for 9,043 hectares of productive forest land. This is a decrease of 27 percent compared with 2023. Applications for regeneration felling in montane forests since 1995 are shown in Figure 5.

In May 2020, the Land and Environment Court of Appeal ruled that forest owners who have been denied a permit for felling in montane forests are entitled to compensation from the state, corresponding to 125 percent of the forest's market value. As a result of the ruling, a sharp increase in applications for felling in montane forests can be seen.

Montane forest refers to montane forest according to Section 15 of the Forestry Act. The montane border is an administrative boundary for forestry in the montane area and harsh climate conditions. The montane border demarcates the montane forest.

Applications for permits for regeneration felling in valuable broadleaved forests

In 2024, applications for a regeneration felling permit in broadleaved forest accounted for 1,254 hectares, an increase of 22 percent compared with 2023. Figure 6 shows the development between 1995 and 2024 for the area concerning applications for a permit for final felling in broadleaved forest.

Notification and application for felling for purposes other than timber production

In 2024, notifications of felling or applications for felling related to purposes other than timber production accounted for a total of 8,176 hectares of productive forest land. Of this, the majority, 8,041 hectares, were in so-called normal forest, 62 hectares in montane forest and 73 hectares in valuable broadleaved forests.

Compared to the previous year, the area concerning notifications increased by 32 percent in normal forests and by 7 percent in valuable broadleaved forests. In montane forests, the area decreased by 57 percent. See Figure 7, that shows how the area concerning notifications and applications for final felling for purposes other than timber production has developed since 1995.

Please note that notifications are not required for all final fellings carried out for purposes other than wood production. A notification is not required for the final felling of areas that are subject to a law other than the Forestry Act. Examples of this are power lines, roads other than forest roads, railways, residential buildings, industrial land, market quarries, golf courses, and ski resorts. A notification is also not required for felling for purposes other than timber production within the detailed plan or within military areas.