– the most forest covered region in Norway

Vardeberget Old-Growth Forest, Engerdal, Hedmark Photo: Olli Manninen

Hedmark county is the region in Norway with the highest percentage of forest cover. It’s a county with big differences – the southern part of the county is almost totally transformed into young plantation forest, whereas you can still find areas with old-growth forests in the northern parts which are more mountainous.

The communes of Stor-Elvdal, Engerdal and Rendalen play a key role when it comes to the preservation of biodiversity of certain old-growth species in Norway. For instance are the old-growth pine forest in Engerdal and adjacent communes Idre and Särna in Sweden, the most important core-area for pine dependent old-growth species in southern Scandinavia.

The forests are in general owned by private persons. The company Borregaard owns quite large forests in Trysil and Rendalen communes, and in Engerdal the state thru its forest company Statskog, owns 80% of the forest area.

The protection situation is as other places in Norway very poor, and several very valuable old-growth forest are unprotected both on private and state land. During the last years, most of the state owned forests are surveyed and the remaining old-growth forests are well documented and a protection process is likely to be started for this forests the coming years.

Old-growth forests in Stor-Elvdal municipality. Photo: Olli Manninen

For the private owned forests, the situation is much more uncertain, since there have not been any overall official surveys of remaining old-growth forests. For private owned forests the only way the governments deals to protect them, is if the forest owners voluntary wish to protected them (frivillig vern), leaving the faith and their protection 100% in the hands of the forest owners.

Thanks to the last two years of surveys initiated by the Friends of the Earth Norway and certain official surveys, the knowledge is quite good about the remaining old-growth forests in Hedmark, and many valuable old-growth forests are well documented.

The county is located in south-eastern Norway bordering Sweden in east, Sør-Trøndelag County in north, Oppland County in west and Østfold County in south.