WE MUST ACT!
Forestry in Sweden is becoming increasingly destructive. We work with various forests groups to fight deforestation and support the fight for Indigenous peoples’ rights. We use a variety of methods in order to maximize the impact: from civil disobedience to species inventory, relationship-building, and media outreach.
According to SLU’s species database, 5,000 Nordic forest species—2,000 of which are found in Sweden—are on the verge of extinction as a result of forestry practices. 43 percent of Sweden’s red-listed species inhabit forests that are currently being logged at an ever-increasing rate. Even compared to Finland and Germany, whose forestry practices are also heavily criticized, Sweden still ranks last due to the extreme clear-cutting practices that have dominated since the 1950s.
Forestry companies also fail to respect the rights of Indigenous peoples. A lot of forest being cut down is on Sámi reindeer grazing lands—an Indigenous people whose very existence depends on contiguous forests with old hanging lichens for winter grazing.
Climate change is here, this means increased spruce bark beetle infestations and storm-related forest damage. To continue managing the forest, a transition is needed from monoculture to mixed forests and from clear-cutting to non-clear-cutting methods.
Would you like to join the fight for living forests and Sámi rights? Join us!
