Multiple-use forestry has gained increasing emphasis in forestry discourse in recent years. This article examines how multiple-use forestry has been perceived among Swedish forest actors. Halsey’s interpretation on ‘modalities of nature’ is used to address the tension and relations among various actors and the unfolding processes of becoming. Drawn on semi-structured interviews, we suggest seeing multiple-use forestry as a site for ideas and ideologies to collide, confluence and collaborate. We draw attention to interview materials that address the ‘modalities of nature’ where vision, naming, speed and affect all contribute to the becoming of multiple-use forestry. We thus show how multiple-use forestry has been used as a political concept and address the potentially creative and constructive relations generated by the forest users.