The most active municipality in Norrbotten in wetland restoration efforts

The first of the three approved wetland projects began in the Edeforsbygden area last autumn. Its origins lie in the local collaboration for area development in Edeforsbygden.

“During that process, we identified a number of areas where Edeforsbygden can be developed, and this is one of them,” says project manager Sven-Eric Ersson.

A preliminary study was produced as the basis for the project. Restoration work began last autumn and will continue for several years. In the first phase, measures are being carried out on Sveaskog’s land within the Kvarnån catchment area. The project is 90 percent financed through the national initiative for Local Nature Conservation Projects (LONA), with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency acting as co-financier via the county administrative boards.

“We have a very good collaboration with Sveaskog, which is also represented on the steering committee and follows up on the work together with us,” says Sven-Eric.

The project owner is the Municipality of Boden, with EDEK responsible for project management and the local company BOMEK as contractor. With the right type of lightweight machinery capable of operating on mires, a ditching bucket, and the necessary expertise, BOMEK has specialized in this particular type of wetland restoration.

New Generation

At the controls is Elias Eriksson, the third generation in the family business. He has previously carried out similar assignments on behalf of the county administrative board in other municipalities and is one of the few machine operators in Norrbotten who has specialized in this field.

“It’s not really like operating machinery on other types of jobs. The work has to be done in a specific way, material is taken from different locations, you have to keep track of the direction of groundwater flow, and then you document things with your mobile phone,” Elias explains.

Often accompanying him is his father, Per-Anders Eriksson, who operates the harvester that complements the work by felling the trees that need to be removed. These are then used as plugs when ditches are filled in.

Per-Anders has followed the development of forestry for many years and notes that the types of ditches his son is now filling in are ones he himself once dug on behalf of forestry companies, when this was a standard practice in forestry.

“Times change, and it’s good that this work is being done. I hope more people understand why it’s important and what it means,” says Per-Anders.

Multiple Functions

“The reason wetland restoration is important and prioritized is that it fulfills so many functions and provides multiple benefits. Rewetting drained wetlands improves the soil’s water-retention capacity, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, promotes biodiversity, and creates attractive and recreational environments for outdoor activities,” explains Elin Lindahl, environmental strategist and project manager for Boden’s participation in Climate-Neutral Cities 2030.

She emphasizes that it also means a great deal to be able to support the local business community and to retain and develop expertise locally. For BOMEK, the assignment represents not only a new branch of the company’s operations but also the security of having continuous work in the local area almost year-round for several years.

The project initiated in Edeforsbygden covers approximately 150 hectares of land. So far, around three kilometers of ditches have been filled in.

An additional area of 160 hectares, also with funding of approximately three million kronor, has been approved. That project is still at an early stage, and dialogue with landowners is ongoing.

In parallel with the investments in Edeforsbygden, the Municipality of Boden has been granted SEK 4,096,320 in LONA funding to restore the wetland Flarkmyran, just north of Boden Industrial Park. This project will also run until 2028 and plays an important role for already stressed watercourses.

“With the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the forthcoming national plan, nature conservation will have a clearer direction and higher ambitions—and our local work with wetlands becomes a concrete part of how we implement these goals in practice. It also feels positive that we are already working proactively and building up structure, experience, and collaboration. In this way, we will be better prepared when the national plan enters into force, while also contributing to additional benefits in the meantime,” says Elin Lindahl.

Read more about Boden municipality wetlands here