Privata markägares reflektioner med hänseende till den minskade röjningsaktiviteten : så kan skogsvårdsstyrelsen anpassa sitt arbete

Abstract: This project was a request of Norrbodal´s Forestry Board, Västra Götaland. It was performed as a qualitative interview analysis of private forest owner's deficient motivation regarding pre-commercial thinning. The purpose of the project is to investigate what the Forestry Board can do to motivate private forest owners to do more pre-commercial thinning. The results build upon 16 qualitative phone interviews with forest owners that have their forest within the district of Norrbodal. The owners are divided into two groups, the one who have performed the pre-commercial thinning and the one that has possible pre-commercial thinning needs on their properties according to the pre-commercial thinning analysis ,which is the result of a satellite analysis. The study has few female participants. The reason has been that the females do not have the right knowledge about forestry, because most often it is their men who perform the management. Results show that subsidies and more time for the self-active forest owners would contribute to a bigger area that is pre-commercial thinned in the district of Norrbodal. Many owners did not think that a reintroduction of the law would affect themselves to do more pre-commercial thinning, however many thought it would be necessary for other forest owners. About ¾ of the interviewed thought that the law should be reintroduced. Many forest owners lack of time results in less pre-commercial thinning being conducted. A quick way to inform private forest owners is by the Forestry Boards homepage. Those who had looked at the homepage thought it was well designed and gave valuable information, but sadly this was still an unexplored sources of knowledge for many owners. It was a common view among forest owners that a forest day is a good way to learn more about pre-commercial thinning. To update ones knowledge continuously information about pre-commercial thinning would possibly retain the interest to perform pre-commercial thinning for many forest owners. This could be done through a greater offer of courses in pre-commercial thinning during evenings, both refreshing and beginners' courses. It is very important to have information about pre-commercial thinning during the autumn, because many forest owners perform pre-commercial thinning during that time of the year. To increase the motivation of the forest owners to perform more pre-commercial thinning it is necessary to produce a pre-commercial thinning method that fulfills the objectives of the forest owners. A guiding principle is to discuss the pre-commercial thinning methods on the basis of the objectives of the private forest owner.