Land and Forest Iceland
Agreement on the Landgræðsluskógar project renewed until 2029
15th May 2024
On this day, May 15th, the Minister of Food, Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir, the Chairman of the Icelandic Forestry Association, Jónatan Garðarsson, and the Director of Land and Forest Iceland, Ágúst Sigurðsson, signed an agreement to extend the Landgræðsluskógar project until 2030.
As outlined on the ministry's official website, the project represents a collaborative effort between the state, the Icelandic Forestry Association, and Land and Forest Iceland. The primary objective of this initiative is to undertake land reclamation measures on degraded areas through afforestation, thereby fostering the cultivation of forests for public outdoor recreation, enhancing carbon sequestration, restoring ecosystems, and promoting biodiversity. The project's inception dates back to 1990, coinciding with the celebration of the Icelandic Forestry Association's 60th anniversary.
The project has been facilitating afforestation initiatives on approximately 150 sites across Iceland, resulting in the plantation of 24.2 million plants across roughly 770 square kilometers of land. Land and Forest Iceland oversees the execution of the agreement.
The majority of the cultivation areas of Landgræðsluskógar are on land owned by municipalities, the state or the forestry associations themselves. The forestry associations are responsible for implementing the project locally by providing land, protecting it from grazing, planting and care.
The collaboration between the government, Land and Forest Iceland and the Icelandic Forestry Association aligns with the government's established forestry and land reclamation policy, "Land og líf". This agreement supports several objectives adopted within the policy framework.