WWF and Metsähallitus:
Old-growth forest dispute settled through
extended protection in Northern Finland
22/02/2006 - Helsinki, Finland – In negotiations
between WWF and Metsähallitus, an agreement
has been reached to complement the protection
of old-growth forests in Northern Finland.
This resolves the controversy that has been
lingering since the government resolution
on the matter in 1996. The conservation
plan drawn up by Metsähallitus in June
2005 has been fine-tuned and specified with
the help of additional field data provided
by environmental organisations.
The complementary areas in Kainuu, Ostrobothnia,
Koillismaa and in Lapland south of Inari
contain 55,000 hectares of old-growth forest
proper. Metsähallitus is now permanently
excluding these areas from all forest management
operations.
An agreement has been reached over conservation
in areas that border, in the south, on a
line drawn from Oulu to southern Kuhmo and
in the north on Enontekiö's municipal
border and the northern areas of the Kittilä,
Sodankylä, Savukoski and Salla municipalities.
This agreement includes the sites also marked
in the "Last of the Last" maps
published by the Taiga Rescue Network in
2000 (**). Considering this agreement and
all previous old-growth forest conservation
decisions, Metsähallitus and WWF have
now secured the essential conservation values
in the state-owned old-growth forests administered
by Metsähallitus in the area under
scrutiny.
The areas for conservation were selected
on the basis of established old-growth forest
criteria. Special attention was given to
biodiversity features and occurrences of
threatened species. The main focus in selecting
the areas was on retaining the ecological
viability of the old-growth forest. Small
old-growth forest fragments were therefore
excluded, with a few exceptions on the southern
fringe of the area.
Besides the regions listed above, areas
in the vegetation zone "Forest Lapland"
south of Inari were also reviewed. Here
the conservation rate is much higher than
elsewhere (Raimo Virkkala, SYKE 2000: Forest
conservation rate in Forest Lapland in 1997
was 40.3%). By its present decision Metsähallitus
further increased conservation in this area,
too. In Forest Lapland, however, fairly
natural old-growth forests also exist in
commercial forests. Metsähallitus will
review the sufficiency of the conservation
network and any shortcomings before carrying
out site-specific operational planning in
these forests. The reconciliation of the
needs of forestry,reindeer herding and other
forest uses will continue by means of natural
resource planning and operational planning
with stakeholders.
"This conservation decision is internationally
significant. Finland demonstrates its global
responsibility by safeguarding the conservation
of these unique old-growth forests. The
negotiation process sets an example of constructive
conflict-solving to many ongoing forest
disputes around the world," said Duncan
Pollard, Director of WWF International's
Forest Programme, in a press conference
in Helsinki.
"Metsähallitus practises responsible
forestry, reconciling the views of different
stakeholder groups. We're pleased with the
understanding reached with WWF as it inspires
confidence in the future of forest-based
industry in Northern Finland," said
Forestry Director Hannu Jokinen from Metsähallitus.
END NOTES:
* Metsähallitus is a state enterprise
whose main tasks are to supply wood to the
forest industry and manage most of Finland’s
protected areas. Metsähallitus administers
more than 12 million hectares of state land
and water areas mainly in northern and eastern
Finland.
** The Last of the Last maps by the Taiga
Rescue Network: The Taiga Rescue Network,
an international network of non-governmental
organizations, coordinated a project that
culminated in the creation of maps and a
report summing up the locations, conservation
status and threats of Northern Europe’s
old-growth forests.
