Sweden checks fewer than 1% of reported fellings on site

Sweden’s Forest Agency has visited fewer than 1% of the more than 40,000 tree-felling operations notified by forest owners through October this year, prompting criticism of its capacity to make well-grounded decisions.

Johan Svensson, a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Umeå, told Sveriges Radio that the lack of site checks was a major shortcoming. He called for more time and resources for the agency.

The agency’s supervision specialist Marianne Karlsson said resource shortages were part of the reason field visits had declined. Better digital evidence also reduced the need for visits, she said.

The figure concerns physical inspections. It does not establish that the remaining notifications received no review, or that the felling operations broke the law.

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