The government announces that it protects 27 forest areas spread over eight counties. See overview map of the area further down. Among the new conservation areas is the Kudalen nature reserve in Stad municipality, which is characterized by lying dead trees with lungworts and hanging lichens. Such habitat is decisive for several species on the Norwegian Red List. – I want to increase the pace of forest protection. It is necessary to ensure the rich diversity in Norwegian forests, says Climate and Environment Minister Andras Bjelland Eriksen. This is Kudalen in Vestland. Forests cover approximately 37 percent of Norway’s land area. Since the voluntary protection scheme started in 2003, almost 900 areas have been voluntarily protected. Almost half of the species on the Norwegian Red List – 1,330 species or 48 percent of the Red List species – live wholly or partly in forests. Through the consideration of the Storting report Nature for life – Norwegian action plan for biodiversity, the Storting adopted an escalation of forest protection in Norway to 10 percent of the forest area . – This makes me happy and proud With the new decision, a total of 5.3 per cent of the forests in Norway are protected. The official target is 10 percent. The progress has therefore been disputed, and was last seen on the agenda when the government proposed to cut the forest protection pot in the national budget. After massive protests, the government retreated in the final budget proposal and “found” one billion kroner to compensate forest owners who offer to protect forests. At the top, the government will buy its way out of an “EEA tangle” by putting NOK 3 billion on the table for forest credit in Europe. Storting representative Alfred Bjørlo (V) was formerly mayor of the municipality, which now gets its own nature reserve. – This makes me happy and proud on behalf of Stad and Nordfjord! Nature is under great pressure, and it is important that the untouched forest areas are taken care of, he says. – This is a superb Christmas present for Nordfjord and nature. The next step must be to speed up the protection of vulnerable areas at sea as well, says Alfred Bjørlo. Photo: Ned Alley / NTB On Wednesday, he and several Liberal colleagues submitted a representative proposal on old-growth forests to the Storting. In Norway, old-growth forest is defined as forest with trees that are older than 160 years, and that have little effect from previous interventions. The EU decided to ban all felling in old-growth forests in 2021, and in the proposal the Liberals are calling for a similar ban in Norway. Through several cases, news has focused on weaknesses in the administration, and in October Økokrim warned of illegal logging in a new report. The government announced this week that it is protecting 27 forest areas spread over eight counties. – Can’t expect forest owners to voluntarily set fire to the forest The protected area in Aurskog-Høland will be the first area in Norway to be protected with a view to controlled nature conservation burning. – We cannot expect forest owners to voluntarily set fire to their forest without receiving compensation for it. But in a conservation area that is adapted to such care, it may be relevant, says adviser to the Norwegian Foresters’ Association, Ida Aarø. The new protection also includes broadleaf forests in Southern Norway, northern birch forests in Troms, and several conifer forests in Eastern Norway. – Now it will be a good Christmas for both endangered species that get a safe place to live, and for landowners who have waited a long time for compensation for protection, says general secretary Karoline Andaur of WWF Verdsnaturfondet. Photo: Elin Eike Worren Landowners will still have the right to hunt and trap, and the commoners will still be able to use the area for simple outdoor activities, picking edible mushrooms and berries. Secretary General of WWF Verdsnaturfondet, Karoline Andaur calls forest protection “the most important tool we have to preserve unique forest types and habitats”. – If we are to manage to stop the ongoing loss of nature, we must take care of the older and more varied forests. In order for species to survive, such networks with many interconnected areas are absolutely decisive.
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The government protects 27 forest areas to ensure biological diversity – news Vestland
