In southern Sweden, private forest owners own about 80% of the productive forest land. Consequently, in this region, these owners significantly impact the provision of forest ecosystem services. We collected data through in-depth interviews with 23 private forest owners aiming to, from their perspectives, examine the potential to develop environmental and other values on private land and to examine existing barriers. The owners were 36-84 years old and owned 10-825 ha of productive forest. 26% of the owners were female. Collected data were analyzed with semantic content analysis resulting in themes. The study showed that there is a potential to provide ecosystem services on private land since 1) What matters most to forest owners in forest management and ownership was demonstrated in a diversity of factors, above all that relate to social and emotional dimensions, 2) Forest owners desired management included a range of management ideas that could bring a diversity of benefits and 3) Forest owners already carry out a variety of forestry measures that intentionally or unintentionally benefit environmentaland other values. The forest owners also perceived that there are barriers in forestry primarily related to financial aspects, rules, lack of time and forest estate site conditions. Some barriers could be reduced by financial incentives and by designing policy instruments that encourage forest owners' initiatives.