Non-profit environmentalists have succeeded in making authorities implement inhibition, ie temporary stop for logging, in a forest with high conservation values at Björn’s Kvarn, Risveden in the county of Västergötland, Sweden. In the meantime, an appeal against the logging notification has been submitted. The landowners have previously turned down the option of forming a nature reserve in the forest and the Swedish Forestry Agency has already approved planned logging with certain restrictions. This is despite the fact that there are several red-listed and protected species such as the orchid Goodyera repens (VU), the willow tit (NT), the Eurasian three-toed woodpecker (NT) and the lesser-spotted woodpecker (NT) living in the forest.
The inhibition, i.e. temporary stop for logging, applies until the Land and Environmental Court has decided the case. In the appeal, one can read that the Court should prohibit all logging in the forest. Clear-cutting cannot be reconciled with the existing high conservation values in the area, especially not if the protected birds are to be taken into account. Alternatively, the case must be referred back to the Swedish Forestry Agency for renewed processing.
Multiple reasons for protection – fresh water pearl mussel (EN), Goodyera repens (VU) and the Eurasian three-toed woodpecker (NT)
Nils Hydén, who has written the inhibition request and the appeal to the Nature Protection Association Norra Älvsborg, comments:
-The more I worked on the case, the more of the protective aspects emerged. Just downstream in the forest, the fresh water pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) previously had good populations in the stream that runs through the area. Stationary and sea-migrating trout are found in the forest and also several cultural monuments. In addition, it turned out that the Swedish Forestry Agency’s decision has neither regulated sufficient protection for the occurrences of the orchid Goodyera repens nor that the forest constitutes a very important connectivity link between the southern and northern parts of Risveden. Something that is of crucial importance, not in the least because the country’s southernmost occurrence of the Eurasian three-toed woodpecker is found in the forests here!
Four landowners refused to form a nature reserve
The current felling-notified forest covers 20 hectares and is owned by four landowners. The forest is located in the middle of Risveden, near both the Ekliden and Igelkärr nature reserves. It is an important dispersal link for various species between the northern part of Risveden and the southern part. The best thing would be if the entire Risveden area is protected because it has high natural values, key forest biotopes and nature reserves, according to the local nature associations.
Inventories form the basis for the appeal
Ingela Eriksson has worked for a long time on a voluntary basis for the preservation of the forest, she says:
– We have worked intensively to create a well-written appeal with lots of information and background material. In several rounds, people with inventory skills have been out to search unconditionally for species worthy of protection in the forest. Right now we are waiting for the Land and Environmental Court’s verdict, but of course we can supplement our appeal if we find more species worthy of protection in the forest.
Valuable tract for forest according to the County Administrative Board, yet logging continues
Risveden is one of western Sweden’s largest contiguous forest areas of approx. 20,000 hectares with several reserves, key forest biotopes and high conservation values. The County Administrative Board has assessed that it is an important area for biodiversity, but despite this logging continues. In 2022 landowners felled 20 hectares of forest with high conservation values at Rörmossen. The forest at Björns Kvarn, which has been registered for felling, is also important for recreation and popular for hiking, riding and just enjoying for many people. It has cultural and historical values such as potholed roads and old stone walls.
FSC- and PEFC-certified company will carry out logging
The logging company Vida Skog, which will carry out the logging at Risveden, is an FSC- and PEFC-certified forest company. If a forest company is FSC certified, it should not log so-called key forest biotopes, i.e. forests with high conservation values. Forest biologist Sebastian Kirppu has investigated the forest. He writes in a report to Vida Skog that the company should advise the landowners to contact authorities for long-term protection.
Read the appeal here and the request for inhibition here
Read a previous article about this forest: Forest in Risveden planned for logging, landowners say no to nature reserve