National parks and other ways to protect nature
Swedish nature conservation is maintained by use of numerous instruments, particularly those provided by the Environmental Code. Statutory protection is supplemented with voluntary commitments made by the forestry industry, as well as economic support given to farmers managing valuable parts of our rural heritage such as hay meadows and wooded pastures.
National parks
Sweden has 28 national parks, soon 29. On 20090909 the King will inaugerate Kosterhavets nationalpark on the West coast of Sweden.
This year we celebrate the centenary of National Parks in Sweden. A group of some 20 NGO:s and authorities has joined forces in promoting this year as Natures year in Sweden. The centenary will be celebrated all over Europe, because Sweden was the first to institute national parks in Europe.
Parliament passed a law on national parks in 1909 and nine were decided the same year. A further seven parks were established between 1918 and 1962, followed by twelve more between 1982 and 2002. The most recent addition is Fulufjället National Park.
The purpose of a national park is to preserve “… a large contiguous area of a certain landscape type in its natural state or essentially unchanged.” (Environmental Code). The state owns all national park land. National parks and nature reserves must have management plans that include practical steps for maintenance and monitoring.
The National Parks Plan is an important strategic document. The plan proposes new areas for national parks based on the degree to which they are worthy of protection, their size, representativeness, biodiversity and pristine qualities. The current plan was drawn up in 2008. Read more about the process for creating a national park in this translation of an extract from the national parks plan
Process of creating a national park (extract pdf 372 kB)
Nature reserves
Sweden has some 3,200 nature reserves. Their total area is almost six times greater than that covered by national parks (four million ha as compared to 0.7 million ha). They are established on the initiative of the county administrative board in the relevant county, although municipalities can also designate areas as nature reserves. Sweden has 21 counties and 290 municipalities.
Nature reserves can be established on land owned by the state, municipalities or private interests. In the latter case compensation is paid for restrictions in land use or part-acquisition, but the most common approach is for the state or municipality to purchase the land before the reserve is created. The Swedish EPA buys land, pays compensation, and gives grants to municipalities for protection of nature.
People and nature
Nature reserves are created “for the purpose of preserving biological diversity, protecting and preserving valuable natural environments or satisfying the need of areas for outdoor recreation. Any area that is needed for the purpose of protecting, restoring or establishing valuable natural environments or habitats for species that are worthy of preservation may also be designated a nature reserve.” (Environmental Code)
The establishment of nature reserves is based on criteria developed by the Swedish EPA and county administrative boards. Those criteria serve as guidelines for regional and national inventories of areas deserving protection. The next step is to draw up plans for protecting the most valuable areas as reserves.
Numbers increasing
More nature reserves are currently being established than ever before. Natural forest and virgin or near-virgin forest and forest with endangered species are the main areas being designated.
Traditionally-managed hay meadows and pastures are also being protected, as are lakes, rivers and streams, bogs and other wetlands, mountains, coastal bays and inlets, marine environments or a combination of different ecotypes.
Sites that are important for outdoor recreation have received greater attention in recent years and protection of sites near densely populated areas is regarded as particularly important.
Biotope protection
Biotope protection is designed to preserve small areas for nationally endangered species in forested or agricultural areas. The landowner retains title, as well as ownership of timber. The state forest management organisation decides on biotope protection in forest and pays compensation to the landowner for forfeiture of the right to fell trees.
The county administrative boards decide on biotope protection in other areas.
Wildlife sanctuaries
It is possible to protect nesting birds, for example, or seal colonies by prohibiting access to an area during certain months of the year.
Nature conservation agreements
A nature conservation agreement is a contract between the state forest management organisation and the landowner for conservation and development of natural assets, mainly in forested areas. The land involved often needs to be specially managed for nature conservation purposes. The agreements normally run for 50 years and provide financial compensation for the measures, although they seldom cover the full loss of income incurred.
Voluntary designation
The forestry industry in Sweden has decided to exclude 500,000 ha of forest land from production without receiving financial compensation from the state or municipality. The ultimate motive is for the heavily export-dependent forestry industry to show the rest of the world that its operations reflect environmental concerns.
The land that has been voluntarily set aside is included in the parliamentary decision on the amount of land to be protected by 2010 and its therefore a prerequisite for achievement of the aims of nature conservation policy.
Support for traditional rural land use
Wooded pastures and natural meadows used for hay-making are among the Swedish landscape types with the greatest biodiversity. This type of landscape has almost disappeared with the common use of modern farming methods. Compensation under the EU agricultural programme is paid to farmers who make a contractual commitment to manage the land by grazing or hay-making in the interests of nature conservation.
Natura 2000 sites
Natura 2000 is a network of sites with high conservation interest in the EU. The aim is to prevent destruction of natural habitats and to protect animals and plants from extinction. The sites are identified for inclusion in the network under the provisions of the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive.
Sweden has listed some 4,000 Natura 2000 sites, having a total area of six million ha, or around 15 per cent of the country´s area. Approximately 60 per cent of the sites are national parks or nature reserves. The sites need to be maintained or restored in order to retain a favourable conservation status.