Minister Korkeaoja: Reconciliation of interests is the aim of forest management
“The aim of sustainable forest management is to reconcile the economic use of forests with conservation. In view of the extent and comprehensiveness of conservation in Forest Lapland, there is no conservation biological justification for additional protection. The protection of biodiversity should be focused globally and nationally so that conservation achieves the best possible ecological impact,” emphasised Juha Korkeaoja, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry today at a discussion event to which researchers were invited in response to an open letter concerning forest conservation. There were just under 100 researchers present.
The ecological impact of protection would be much greater if the available appropriations were focused on conservation measures like the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland (METSO). At this time, 500,000 hectares of forest are protected in Forest Lapland, which represents 51% of the forested area. In many municipalities, the conservation areas cover 40% of the forests and their quality is diverse and representative. The conservation figure for Southern Finland is 2-3%.
Lapland needs all its profitable livelihoods. The forest industry employs as many people as tourism and maintains the essential infrastructure. The researchers’ address does not take sufficient note of the significant social and economic impacts of additional protection, because substitute wood will only be available from Lapland’s growing young forests in 20-30 years.
“I believe that Finland can best meet its international obligations by developing conservation in Southern Finland. We are currently revising the National Forest Programme, and in conjunction with this a proposal for the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland will be prepared by the end of 2007. Among other things, preparation regarding the future of the programme has involved significant research programmes on biodiversity, the results of which were published last year. Comprehensive research data on the economic, ecological and social impacts is also needed in Forest Lapland before there is any justification for changing the present policy,” said Minister Korkeaoja.
Professor Ilkka Hanski also stressed the need for further research. “A comprehensive investigation into the ecological, social and economic importance of natural forests will be needed by the year 2050. Before the studies are completed, however, the felling of natural forests must cease.”
Ilkka Heikkinen, who is Director of Nature Conservation at the Ministry of the Environment, was of the opinion that Forest Lapland’s arguments over conservation could be referred to Parliament. “A revision of the Wilderness Act would be a natural way to have Parliament resolve the question of the future use of forest wildernesses protected by Forest Lapland.”
“A political appraisal of the matter is to be undertaken towards the end of the year when the reform of the National Forest Programme and the future decision on METSO will be brought before the Government,” said Korkeaoja at the end of the event. “It will be then that the needs and aims of forest conservation in Lapland will be assessed as part of the Finnish forestry sector and nature conservation programme as a whole. I welcome the debate.”
More information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest:
State Secretary Jouni Lind, tel. +358 9 53323, +358 50 521 3305
Aarne Reunala, Director-General, tel. +358 9160 53350, +358 40 043 7222
