There is a lot of mature forest in Norway. However the problem is that a great deal of these forests is situated in steep terrain where there are no roads. Thus building roads and/or logging cables is necessary. That is the conclusion of a recent report made by the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute.

The report says that Norway's forest resources have increased considerably and there is a good potential for increased felling. However, most of the mature forest is situated in steep and difficult terrain, far away from roads. Building roads and logging cables is a prerequisite for increased felling.
As much as 70 % of mature forests are situated on lower quality sites, such as less fertile ground and in the mountains. The corresponding figure concerning forest on good quality sites is only 30 %.
Mr Halvor Bjorken, deputy managing director of the Norwegian Forest Owners' Federation, says that this situation is already well known and only confirms the need for building roads in order to reach the forests situated in steep terrain. Know-how about cable logging must also be improved. In Mid-Norway a project has been started for the purpose of improving mechanical equipment and for teaching lumberjacks in order to increase felling in such areas.