A new report by Økokrim shows that valuable forests are being illegally cut down in Norway. The consequences can be serious and irreversible, both for endangered species and for climate change.
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The forest protects against the effects of climate change, among others. preventing floods, erosion and landslides. In the face of anticipated more extreme conditions weather patterns, illegal logging could have far more harmful consequences for society in the future than what we have seen so far.
– In many cases it is a serious crime against environment. It concerns illegal cutting down of large areas and single trees. The case is often presented as not very complicated, but overall the damage can be serious and irreversible, says the first prosecutor and head of the environmental crimes department in Økokrim, Hans Tore Høviskeland.
The public sector must take better care of forests
The Økokrima report takes into account all notifications under the Forestry Act and the Natural Diversity Act in the period from January 2021 to July 2023. Notifications apply to companies such as logging companies, forest owners, contractors and municipalities. They are also recorded individuals, e.g. for felling in nature reserves or on someone else's property.
The first instance in public forest management are municipalities. They are also responsible for supervising compliance with decisions resulting from the law. Nevertheless, most messages come from conservation organizations and individuals. Høviskeland calls for increased public supervision.
Many things are put aside
Violation of the Act on forestry may amount to a serious crime against the environment. There are few, but almost all, reports the cases are discontinued, which indicates that the threat of a penalty under the Forest Act is unlikely to be realistic.
The report indicated that regulations were perceived as complicated, unclear and difficult to access. The Forestry Act is discretionary and imposes few clear obligations. Now Økokrim wants to follow and support more police districts. Høviskeland also wants clearer forestry law.
– When local districts police officers have little experience investigating such cases, the law is discretionary and the threat of punishment under the Forestry Act is low compared to other environmental protection laws. This means it is difficult to prioritize cases as well as investigate and prosecute, says Høviskeland.
You can read the entire report here: Thematic report – Illegal logging.pdf
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Source: Økokrim
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