Forest properties, 2006

According to the 2006 Farm Register, there are 117 000 forest properties with a productive forest area of 25 decares or more in Norway, of which almost 15 100 cut timber for sale. This is 200 fewer than in 2005 and 8 800 fewer than ten years ago. Forest owners in Buskerud county were most active, with one in four properties carrying out commercial roundwood removals. Buskerud forest owners were closely followed by forest owners in Hedmark county. The activity level varied considerably between the counties. In the western part of Norway, 4-6 per cent of forest properties had commercial removals and in the northern part of the country the figure was even lower.

In 2006, average commercial roundwood removals per property was 480 cubic meters, 45 cubic meters less than in 2005 and 150 cubic meters more than ten years ago.

Average property size 570 decares

In 2006, the average property size was 570 decares. 2 500 of the properties are owned by the government or other impersonal owners. One in four of the properties owned by a private person are owned by a woman.

39 900 of the forest properties are owned by a person who also runs an agricultural holding.

Small properties seldom cut timber for sale

In 2006, one in twenty forest properties with a productive forest area between 25 and 250 decares carried out roundwood removals. More than half of the properties with more than 2 000 decares of productive forest sold roundwood.

Tables:

• Table 1 Forest properties by county and size class. 2006
• Table 2 Productive forest area by county and size class in decares. 2006
• Table 3 Forest properties with commercial roundwood removals, by county and size of property. 2006
• Table 4 Commercial roundwood removals, by county and property size in decares.Solid cubic metres. 2006
• Table 5 Forest properties in combination with agricultural holding, by county and size of productive forest area. 2006
• Table 6 Forest properties by type of owner, county and property size. 2006