The Swedish Forest Agency estimates that 1.5 - 3 million cubic metres of wood in Southern Sweden have suffered storm damage this winter which causes a risk of extensive bark beetle attacks.
The storm felled trees are spread over large areas, which means that there is a great risk of extensive bark beetle attacks. Furthermore time runs out; the storm felled trees must be removed from the forest not later than 1 July.
Collected information indicates that the storm felled trees are spread over the area and are most frequently located on old felling areas and their outskirts and on old storm damage areas. Furthermore, the ground is very wet and soft because of the abundant rains last autumn and winter, which means that access to the storm felled areas is very difficult.
Johanna From, head of unit of the Swedish Forest Agency and head of the Agency's project Fighting Insects 2008 says that in order to save the forest all forest owners must be very active; they must themselves process their storm felled trees, or contact their timber purchasers.