Targeted forest management in rural areas

In an interview with journalist Steinunn Ásmundsdóttir in the newspaper Bændablaðið on 8 February, Hrefna traces the history of co-operation with farmers on forestry back to the Fljótsdalsáætlun from 1970. Then she explains the development that led to the arrangements that have been in place for many years on the project Farmer's Forestry.

Hrefna highlights the importance of the forest resources that are being created all over Iceland. They provide shelter for humans and livestock, as well as providing better agricultural conditions for other crops and improving soil and water management. “Over time, valuable wood crops will be created that will boost economic activity and sustainability, as well as the forests' contribution to carbon sequestration,” Hrefna says in an interview with Bændablaðið.

She mentions that the farmer's focus for the forestry is now increasingly shifting to forest management as the forests grow. Of challenging issues, she mentions the land planning issues, which are often complicated and costly to solve. There are now nearly 700 farms across the country that are involved in Farmer's Forestry, and a total of 55 thousand hectares are contracted. More than half of that land has already been planted.

Future use of the forests and changes in emphasis are discussed in accordance with the evolution of the forests. Today, Hrefna notes, demand for Icelandic wood is higher than supply. She remarks that forest farmers must take care of their young forests for them to become valuable in the future. This is done by for example thinning work, grooming and replanting in case of seedling die-off or other losses. Hrefna believes that some integration of emphasis can be expected with the merger of organisations into the newly established Land and Forest Iceland. For example land use planning should become more focused to some extent.

The interview can be read in the Bændablaðið newspaper on 8 February and also appears (in Icelandic) on the newspaper’s website, bbl.is:

• Markviss skógrækt á lögbýlum að skila sér