A Dutch company is preparing to plant nearly 2,000 hectares of forest in Iceland as part of an ambitious effort to capture carbon, restore damaged land, and sustainably harvest trees.
As reported by RÚV, Heartwood Afforested Land ehf. has purchased two plots of land for the initiative. One site lies in Varmalækur, at the mouth of Flókadalur valley in Borgarfjörður, covering 850 hectares. Around 80% of this area (or approximately 680 hectares) is expected to be forested with a mix of Alaskan aspen, Sitka spruce, and birch, among others.
Phase 1
With planning permission now approved, 80 hectares are set to be planted this year as part of phase one. The remainder will be forested over the next four years, subject to annual environmental approval. According to the company, the forest will be managed with a long-term outlook, meaning that no more than 20% of any area will be harvested at one time, at least for the next 15-20 years.
Stage 2
The second site spans 1,700 hectares in the Villingavatn region, south of Lake Þingvallavatn. Here, the company plans to begin planting some three million saplings next year.
Although still in the early stages, the project is thought to be one of the largest private forestry efforts in Iceland to date. Critically, sensitive areas of the environment, including the likes of wetlands and archaeological sites, will be preserved as is.
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