Forest lands are used in increasingly plural ways and serve society with numerous benefits. This paper analyses the views of private forest owners and the general public in Sweden on the values of the forest. Two main dimensions were identified: ‘preservation and recreation’ values, reflecting ecological and social aspects; and ‘production’ values, reflecting economic aspects. While the general public emphasised the importance of forest uses which cater to ecological and social forest values more strongly compared to the forest owners, no significant difference was found concerning economic forest values. This suggests that while there is scope for contestation over forest land use, there is also some potential for common ground across stakeholder groups. These findings add to the body of knowledge of the views on the use of forest lands, and can inform forest related planning, management and policy development.