Competence-
enhancement
for forest owners

The project plans to start an independent education for forest owners at Birka Folk High School. The education itself is financed like other folk high school courses through government grants. The project is about assembling the education and teaching materials, marketing the education, planning field teaching, connecting industry actors to the education, creating a forestry teaching environment around Birka Folk High School, purchasing certain technical equipment, and simultaneously improving the courses alongside the education. An independent education for forest owners should help the forest owner obtain a better decision-making basis in their forestry ownership. The project also aims to help the forest owner realize their visions for their forestry ownership through knowledge dissemination. That the education is independent does not mean that we turn our backs on the forestry industry; on the contrary, we plan to have as many of the different actors as possible involved in the education as lecturers or excursion hosts.

The project is a collaboration project with Leader Mittland Plus and Leader 3Sam. 

LAG board's justification

LAG chooses to prioritize this application, which is about developing a relatively accessible forestry education at the folk high school level that can be studied remotely. The education should contribute to creating new networks around the forest as a resource and how it can be utilized in the best way. The application is granted within the framework of the intervention area Attractive and dynamic nature and cultural environments, as the forest is one of our most important resources not only as raw material but also as a place for recreation and a resource where new products and services can be developed. The project is expected to primarily contribute to goals related to increased ecological sustainability and increased competence in the preservation of nature and cultural environments.