– The queues can be so long that many will probably want to cut rather than protect. Forest owner and farmer Gunnar Myrvang thinks so. He has a forest area of 423 acres in Stor-Elvdal, which he himself has proposed to protect. Now he is waiting in line to receive compensation. For several years there has been a scheme of voluntary protection where the framework for compensation has been well over NOK 400 million. In the proposal for the state budget for next year, the government will cut the amount to 200 million, i.e. more than halve. DEPENDENT: Myrvang says that he is completely dependent on the income from the forest, as he does not spend enough on the farm. Photo: Arne Sørenes / news Myrvang now fears that it may take several years before he receives compensation. For him, things are going well, but he is afraid that many others will have to withdraw their proposal for protection. – Many farmers do not have the time and money to wait so long for compensation. The forestry industry believes the proposal could put the entire forest protection on hold. A powerful brake – The concrete effect is that much of the forest protection is simply put on hold, says Gudmund Nordtun in Glommen and Mjøsen Skog. INFERIOR: Nordtun believes the government’s proposal is inferior. Photo: Arne Sørenes / news In 2016, the Storting decided that 10 percent of Norwegian forests and nature should be protected. – It goes without saying that this cut will mean that this will take a very, very long time, says Nordtun. He described the government’s proposal as inferior. He says that all parties agree that the current system of voluntary protection works well. – And then suddenly, with just one stroke of the pen, you more than halve that pot. Glommen and Mjøsen believe that the scheme will now be difficult to use for the forest owners, who will then be reluctant to offer land for voluntary conservation. – Very few of them want to give up their own land without compensation. So that will slow this process down a lot, says Nordtun. COMPENSATION: For several years, forest owners have received compensation for voluntarily protecting their areas. Photo: Arne Sørenes / news Fears forced protection Glommen and Mjøsen make a living by managing forests and cutting forests. But they agree that it is natural to protect part of the forest in sustainable forestry. Before, forest areas were protected by compulsion. It led to many conflicts. Then someone came up with the scheme of voluntary protection instead. Now the forest industry fears that there may be more forced protection without compensation again, if the target of 10 percent protection is to be reached. – If it ends up being compulsory protection without compensation, then it goes without saying that it will lead to far more conflicts than there are today, says Nordtun. – Serious The Nature Conservancy believes that the Government’s proposal is serious. – We believe that the subsidy for forest protection must be increased, and now it will be halved instead, says Ole Midthun, head of the Nature Conservation Association Innlandet. ON A TEAM: Midthun says that the Nature Conservancy is on a team with the forest owners in forest protection. Photo: Marte Iren Noreng Trøen / news He agrees with Nordtun that this is a strange cut. According to him, no one actually wants less money for forest protection. – We are completely on the same team as the forest owners in this, and want them to have an offer of protection with compensation. It must happen as soon as possible, he says. Midthun also believes that this says a lot about where the government’s priorities lie. The pace will slow down Aleksander Øren Heen (Sp) is state secretary in the Ministry of Climate and the Environment. He says he has sympathy with those who now fear for the forest protection. – The forest owners have built up resources to contribute to this protection. It’s getting uncertain now, so I understand their reactions. CROWDED: Øren Heen says the budget is crowded. That is why they are cutting the subsidy for forest protection. Photo: Arne Sørenes / news The reason they are cutting investment in forest protection is that the budget is tight. Øren Heen points out that 200 million have been set aside for the protection of forests, and that they are sticking to the target set by the Storting to protect 10 per cent. At the same time, he says that they have not found room to maintain so much activity in this area. – It is clear that the pace will naturally slow down when the subsidy for this work is reduced, he says.
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The government will halve the subsidy for forest protection – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
