Forest properties, 2008

According to the 2008 Farm Register, there are 119 600 forest properties with a productive forest area of 25 decares or more in Norway. Timber for sale was cut on almost 15 400 properties, which is 1 000 fewer than in 2007. Forest owners in the county of Buskerud were most active, with one in four properties carrying out commercial roundwood removals.

A total of 37 500 of the forest properties are owned by a person who also runs an agricultural holding; 700 fewer than in 2006.

The activity level varied considerably between the counties. In the western part of Norway, one in twenty forest properties had commercial removals, and in the northern part of the country the figure was even lower. In the country as a whole, a total of 50 300 forest properties sold timber at least once in the last 10-year period.

In 2008, average commercial roundwood removals per property were 510 cubic metres; a few cubic metres more than in the previous year.

Average property size was 577 decares

In 2008, the average property size was 577 decares. A total of 2 000 of the properties are owned by the government or other impersonal owners. At the end of 2008, the total registered productive forest area was 69 million decares.

The Forest Trust Fund grows

In the beginning of 2008, the forest owners had set aside NOK 962 million in the Forest Trust Fund - NOK 127 million more than the previous year. Hedmark forest owners in total had NOK 191 million at their disposal, and during 2008 a total of nearly NOK 87 million was disbursed from the Forest Trust Fund to the owners. This is more than the paid-up amount this year.

Tables:

• Table 1 Forest properties by county and size class. 2008
• Table 2 Productive forest area, by county and size class in decares. 2008. Decares
• Table 3 Forest properties with commercial roundwood removals, by county and size of property. 2008
• Table 4 Commercial roundwood removals, by county and property size in decares. Solid cubic metres. 2008
• Table 5 Forest properties in combination with agricultural holding, by county and size of productive forest area. 2008
• Table 7 Forest Trust Fund. Balance payment and disbursement of fund, by county and productive forest area. 2008. NOK 1 000