FORESTS IN NORWAY,    FORESTS IN EUROPE

Forests and other wooded land cover approximately 37 per cent, or 119,000 km2, of the Norwegian mainland. Of this, almost 23 per cent, or approximately 72,000 km2 is regarded as productive forest.
The productive forest is distributed between 125,000 forest properties. About 79 per cent of the productive forest area is owned by private individuals.
For Norwegian forestry, almost unlike other European countries, characteristic is simultaneously owes arable land and forest. In such circumstances the average size of forest property is about 36 ha.
Simultaneously exist big private forest property too.
Public forest corresponding to state forest has small share in total – 12 %. In general those are rather far from agglomerations, on poor sites. This 12 % of area bring less than 7 % of annual cut.
The Ministry of Agriculture is primarily responsible for the forest sector. Other ministries and institutions actively involved in forest matters are the Ministry of the Environment, county and municipal forest authorities, the State Forest Service.
The Forest and Forest Protection Act (1965, with later amendments) is the main legal framework for forest management. Other laws regulating the forest sector are the Nature Conservation Act.

In Norway, alike other Nordic countries, very important, crucial role plays organization of forest owners. One of the biggest and oldest is the Norwegian Forest Owners' Federation (Norges Skogeierforbund). The history of organization cover almost century (started 1913). It is a cooperative organization consisting of 8 district co-operatives and 368 local societies with 44.000 co-owners throughout Norway. The co-operation is an economic organization involved with marketing round wood and other forest products and working for technical progress among its members. The organization is also a considerable shareholder in Norwegian forest industries with the objective of securing a market for its products. The federation publishes a monthly magazine "Skogeieren" (The Forest Owner).
  Norwegian forests have been exploited intensively for export of roundwood, sawn timber and wood tar for hundreds of years. In addition, there is a long tradition of using the forests for domestic animal grazing and game hunting.
Grazing (cows, sheep, goats) is in Norwegian forest common. This fact causes, that majority of private forests are fenced to prevent livestock from escaping. Fencing is done in such way, that doesn’t disturb entering the forest by tourism; what is regulated in whole country as free. Free and still possible but generally for pedestrians (driving, horse riding need special permission if not on public way).
Another Nordic “speciality” is moose (elk) hunting. In Norway number of hunted stuck of moose vary between 40-50 thousands per year.
Another game species typical for the region – wild reindeer comes up to 5 thousands yearly.
In Northern part of Norway, rather in tundra than forest, very popular is herding of domesticated reindeer. Number of animal is about 200 thousands.