Further protection needed in southern Finland

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Publication date 8.5.2007 12.58
Type:Press release -

The reconciliation of different uses of forests is the most acceptable way of promoting the social, ecological and economic objectives on state lands. This is the view of the Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla), which was commissioned to prepare a statement on the researchers' appeal concerning forest protection in Forest Lapland. The open letter sent by the Finnish researchers to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in February appealed for the preservation of natural-state forests in the north.

According to the Forest Research Institute, biological diversity is exceptionally well safeguarded, thanks to the extensive and comprehensive network of protected areas. It is not feasible to allocate the limited resources available for nature protection to the heathland forests in northern Finland. The need for further protection is the greatest in southern Finland, especially in luxuriant, herb-rich forests.

The Forest Research Institute supports the development project of Metsähallitus aimed to more detailed assessment of the costs and benefits of the public obligations regarding state forests. Such an extensive development project calls for a great deal of new information. So far the project has estimated that the annual costs of taking account of the biological diversity and recreational use of forests, employment effects, reindeer husbandry and Sami culture in the commercial forests administered by Metsähallitus add up to about 38 million euros.

Further actions to protect the biological diversity of forests are being prepared in two broadly-based working groups at the Ministry of the Environment. The aim is to draw up an action programme concerning the forests in southern Finland, which the Government could approve at the end of 2007 at the same time with the revised National Forest Programme.

Further information at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry:
Director-General Aarne Reunala, tel. 358 (0)9 160 53350, 358 (0)400 437 222
Project Manager Mikko Peltonen, tel. 358 (0)9 160 52410, 358 (0)400 289 083

Statement of the Finnish Forest Research Institute on researchers' open letter of 7 February 2007