Norwegians aim to simplify regulations for forestry

The Norwegian Forestry Agency has been commissioned by the Norwegian government to investigate a number of regulatory simplifications for forestry. Source: Timberbiz

Two proposals have been put forward which in brief mean:

1. The requirement to grow new forest after felling, the reforestation obligation, is abolished in a transition zone of 15 meters between agricultural land and forest. The purpose is to favour natural rejuvenation. Such regulatory relaxation makes it easier for landowners who want to develop biologically valuable forest edges and promote other ecosystem services and thereby contribute to the environmental quality goal Living forests.
2. Abolish the minimum age requirement for felling spruce forest on former arable land. If the rules are removed, it will be easier for the forest owner and less administration for the authority. Spruce forests on former arable land are also often damaged, even before they have reached the minimum age for felling. Reforestation with, for example, deciduous trees or mixed forest, can at the same time contribute benefits for biological diversity and increase the experiential values.

Both proposals can provide more deciduous trees and shrubs, which increases the amount of forage for deer such as moose and roe deer. This, in turn, reduces grazing pressure on the pine and can thus contribute to reducing grazing damage, which is a major problem.

“We believe that the proposals can become important changes that contribute to simplify things for the forest owner but also reduce damage and increase biological diversity. There are many benefits if they are carried out,” said project manager Elisabet Andersson, Norwegian Forestry Agency.

The Norwegian Forestry Agency also suggests that several rule changes should be investigated further. It is about possibilities to abolish the obligation to reforest after felling in zones against open land other than agricultural land, for example by power line streets. More simplifications to favour the method of naturally growing new forest after felling, for example an extension of the time period to get the regeneration approved, also need to be investigated further.

The government’s task to investigate a series of regulatory simplifications for forestry is in accordance with the government’s bill on strengthened property rights, flexible forms of protection and increased incentives for nature conservation in forests based on voluntariness. The assignment consisted of three main parts:

1. A review of rules for forestry in spruce forest on former arable land.
2. An analysis of possible simplifications of the rules for rationing, utilization unit and minimum age for rejuvenation felling (LÅF).
3. A review of how regulatory relaxations can be introduced to favor natural regeneration, including in transition zones in brows between arable land and forest.