Ecological compensation at Aitik
When the Aitik mine needs to increase the capacity of its sand reservoir, about 170 hectares of forest of high nature value will be felled. Boliden has thereby initiated one of the largest ecological compensation projects ever to be conducted in Sweden, in agreement with Sveaskog and SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences).
The compensation areas Sarkanenä and Sjnirra are located in northern Norrbotten. Together they are about four times as big as the area next to Aitik which is going to be exploited. The purpose of the measurements is to compensate for the loss of biological diversity in connection with the expansion of the sand reservoir.
The actions that will be carried out include moving dead wood, benefiting broad-leaved trees, damage of living trees, construction of natural conservation fires, relieving old coarse trees and much more.
Sveaskog is the main landowner in the compensation areas whereas SLU, apart from being a landowner, will establish a research platform in order to follow up the nature conservation natural conservation benefits with the management measures implemented. Thereby, a scientific basis for the amount of conservation benefits that this type of action generates will be provided, which will be a support in future design of compensation projects.