FOREST ENVIRONMENT POLICY OF FINNISH FOREST INDUSTRIES

1. FOREST ENVIRONMENT POLICY OF FINNISH FOREST INDUSTRIES Suvi Raivio Finnish Forest Industries Federation Natural Resources and Forest Policy Suvi Raivio

2. BACKGROUND • 26.3 mill. ha (86%) of Finnish land areais forestry land including • forest land (annual tree growth ≥1.0 m3/ha) • scrub land (annual tree growth ≥0.1 m3/ha, but <1.0 m3/ha) • forest land + scrub land ≈ forest • waste land (annual tree growth <0.1 m3/ha) • other forestry land (roads, depots, etc.) • More than 90% of Finnish forests are managed – management practices are crucial for biodiversity • 58% of Finnish forests are owned by private people • Forest industries procure most of the wood raw material needed from private forests • management practices are determined by the forest owner, not by forest industries Suvi Raivio

3. ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT OF FORESTS • Management practices are based on natural dynamics • preservation of key habitats defined in the Forest Act and Nature Conservation Act • increase of deciduous trees • green tree retention • increase of decaying wood • use of prescribed burning • buffer zones along water bodies • native tree species in regeneration • environmental concerns in road building, etc. • Implementation on a regional scale secured by forestry planning and forest certification Suvi Raivio

4. FOREST MANAGEMENT MIMICS NATURAL DYNAMICS Natural forest: Commercial forest: Source: Metsäteho 1994 Suvi Raivio

5. FOREST AREA (1000 ha) TREATED WITH FELLINGS 2002 Source: METLA 2003 Suvi Raivio

6. FOREST PROTECTION IN FINLAND • Finland has protected a considerable proportion (7.6%) of its forests compared with other European countries – comparisons are difficult because of different definitions for forest and protection • several conservation programmes which include forests: national parks, strict nature reserves, old-growth forests, herb-rich forests, eskers, shorelines, mires, wilderness areas and privately owned conservation areas • also forest areas with felling restrictions • forest industry companies have protected their own forests • Protected areas are concentrated in northern Finland, in southern Finland the protected area is smaller • Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland METSO 2003–2007 • 25 interest groups involved: FFIF, FANC and WWF among others • approved by the Council of State on the 23rd October, 2002 • based on voluntary commitment of forest owners • includes 17 actions • budget 62 mill. € Suvi Raivio

7. THREATENED SPECIES • International IUCN classification was adopted for red listing of Finnish species in 2000 • population size and distribution as well as their changes critical, man’s threat irrelevant • a species with naturally small population or restricted distribution can be classified as threatened • near threatened (NT) species not considered threatened anymore • Finland has ca. 43 000 species of which ca. 15 000 are known so well that their status could be assessed • of these ca. 10% were threatened • most threatened species are invertebrates (mainly insects) and fungi, threatened vertebrates include 50 species • forests and habitats created by traditional agriculture (e.g. meadows, pastures) are the most important habitats for threatened species • several threat factors • Examples: Siberian Jay (NT), Capercaillie (NT), Flying Squirrel (VU), Brown Bear (NT), beetle Pytho kolwensis (EN) Suvi Raivio

8. FINNISH FOREST INDUSTRIES (1) • Promotes economically, ecologically, socially and culturally sustainable forestry • protection of biodiversity as well as soil and waters, safeguarding forest health and ecological functions, maintenance and encouragement of productive functions of forests, safeguarding traditional livelihoods and multiple use • supports forest certification schemes that are locally applicable and internationally accepted • Conforms to laws and decrees and other regulations given by authorities • does not procure timber from protected areas or areas where authorities have prohibited logging • protects key habitats and threatened species • Supports the implementation of the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland METSO and the National Action Plan for Biodiversity in Finland Suvi Raivio

9. FINNISH FOREST INDUSTRIES (2) • Cooperates with several interest groups • Communicates actively with other actors both in Finland and other countries • Communicates also internally and trains its staff in biodiversity issues • Uses quality and environmental management systems as well as origin of wood tracing systems to ensure high quality of environmental care • Promotes forest and biodiversity research • Does not use genetically modified material in forest regeneration in Finland • Feels responsibility for forest biodiversity also outside Finland Suvi Raivio

10. VIEWS ON FURTHER PROTECTION OF FORESTS • Forest protection in Finland is effective when compared internationally: there is no need for new strictly protected large forest areas • In the southern parts of the country there is a need for supplementary protection which should be carried out by voluntary methods introduced in the METSO Programme • Protection proposals have to be prepared through the METSO process and the areas must meet with the conservation biological criteria • The most valuable old-growth forests are already protected, fine tuning is done in cooperation with interest groups • Management practices of commercial forests are of crucial importance for biodiversity both from economic and ecological points of view Suvi Raivio