Naturvårdsavtal

Naturvårdsavtal are voluntary agreements in Sweden between landowners and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) or the Swedish Forest Agency (Skogsstyrelsen) aimed at protecting and improving biodiversity and natural values on private land. These agreements typically involve compensation for the landowner, either financially or through other forms of support, in exchange for specific conservation measures.

The primary goal of a naturvårdsavtal is to secure long-term protection of habitats and species that are important for nature conservation. This can include measures such as preserving old-growth forests, protecting wetlands, managing meadows and pastures to benefit endangered species, or restricting certain land-use activities that could harm natural values. The specific terms of the agreement are tailored to the individual property and the nature conservation objectives.

Landowners who enter into a naturvårdsavtal retain ownership of their land but agree to manage it according to the stipulated conditions for a defined period, often several decades. The agreements are designed to be a flexible tool for conservation, allowing landowners to contribute to biodiversity protection while also receiving economic support or other benefits. Funding for these agreements often comes from state environmental budgets. The process typically involves an application, assessment of the conservation potential, and negotiation of the agreement terms.