FOREST NEWS FROM FINLAND, JUNE 2003

Dear recipient This is the NEW electronic forest newsletter from the Finnish Forest Association, to keep you updated on what happens with forests, forestry and forest industries in Finland. If you do not wish to receive it, please send an email to: info@waymaker.fi Yours sincerely Kai Lintunen Finnish Forest Association is a cooperation organization for the forestry field in Finland. FFA promotes the sustainable and multiple- valued tending and use of forests. The members of FFA represent broadly the forest related organizations in Finland; eg. forest industries, private forest owners, the state, research and education organizations, trade unions and NGOs. Kai Lintunen Communications Manager Finnish Forest Association Salomonkatu 17 B 00100 HELSINKI FINLAND tel: +358 9 6850 8815 fax: +358 9 6850 8820 e-mail: kai.lintunen@smy.fi ************************************************************** FOREST BULLETIN * FOREST NEWS FROM FINLAND, JUNE 2003 In this issue of Forest Bulletin: + GOOD PROGRESS MADE IN THE PROTECTION PROGRAMME FOR FORESTS IN SOUTHERN FINLAND + MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY LAUNCHES THE FUTURE OF THE FOREST SECTOR FORUM IN FINLAND + NEW ACT ON COMMON FORESTS INTO FORCE IN FINLAND + STORMS CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO FORESTS IN FINLAND IN 2002 + APPOINTMENTS ************************* GOOD PROGRESS MADE IN THE PROTECTION PROGRAMME FOR FORESTS IN SOUTHERN FINLAND Nature value trading will begin in the summer The programme for enhancing the biodiversity of forests in southern Finland (the so-called Metso programme) has got off to a good start. The first regional pilot project for nature value trading is commencing and further expansion will be decided according to the results. Preparation for other voluntary measures has started. The principles for nature value bidding as well as the principles for forming networks of landowners to co-operate in enhancing biodiversity in extensive areas will have been formulated by next autumn. Voluntary measures in the foreground In nature value trading the forest owner makes an agreement with the state in order to enhance or increase the natural values on his property. The income from these transactions is tax free for the forest owner. The arrangement is very flexible: agreements can be made either indefinitely or for a fixed period of time. A working group appointed by the Ministry of the Environment will specify the criteria for the nature values in question by May 2003. Some 200,000 euros have been allocated both for the Ministry of the Environment as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in the state budget for 2003. Concept of broad co-operation taken even further Every major decision made in Finnish forestry is made after wide multi- stakeholder processes. The Metso biodiversity programme carried out in co-operation between the two ministries represents further the broad, cross-sectoral thinking in the administration. The responsibility for carrying out the 17 initiatives of the Metso programme has been divided between both ministries. Biodiversity research is given a boost As part of the Metso programme, a broad-based research programme was started at the beginning of 2003 to enhance the biodiversity of forests in southern Finland. The total financing of this research is about 2,000,000 euros for 2003. In international comparisons Finland stands out in the knowledge of species on a national basis. A further one million euros for 17 projects for 2003 have been designated for the research of species that are insufficiently known or threatened. The sum is the biggest ever allocated to species research at a time in Finland. The Act on Financing Forestry is being revised as well to accommodate the programme and to support the increase in the use of energy wood. Metsähallitus carries a great responsibility On state land the field work has already started. Metsähallitus (formerly Forest and Park Service), the organisation responsible for the state forests, has at present 16 restoration initiatives of forest and wetlands going on all around Finland. Also the complementary inventories of basic data on nature protection areas as well as the initiatives for enhancing nature management in state forests are in progress. The Managing Director of Metsähallitus, Mr Jan Heino, comments: "Metsähallitus plays an important role in carrying out and financing the Metso programme. The challenge is considerable: On top of extensive efforts already carried out by Metsähallitus, the programme brings new ways of working and tools for enhancing the biodiversity of forests. The strength of Metsähallitus in reaching the goals lies in solid, broad know-how in nature protection, management of forest nature and land sales. Metsähallitus has already begun the preparations and some of the work already last year. In the field, the full volume of operations will be reached this spring." The additional financing proposed by the Metso committee for 2003-2007 is some 62 million euros. Some 21 million euros of this will fall to Metsähallitus in the form of land sales and employment costs for the foresters. In addition to this, further costs will be incurred, for example, in the form of inventories of nature values in commercially utilised forests. Metsähallitus has participated in financing nature protection programmes since 1996 by selling lots and giving land areas under its management as compensatory areas to private landowners. The acquisition of land is based on the voluntary actions of landowners. The new financing programme for Metsähallitus totals some 50 million euros and will commence in 2005. A goal of the National Forest Programme The Council of State appointed a committee in December 2000 to make a proposal for goals, financing and actions to enhance the protection of forests in southern Finland and south-eastern Lapland. The Council of State made the decision in principle in October 2002 regarding the action programme to enhance the biodiversity of forests in southern Finland. This so-called Metso programme constitutes part of the goals of the National Forest Programme 2010, sanctioned in 1999. The resolution of the committee was published in June 2002. The decision in principle regarding the action programme was given in October 2003. Seventeen initiatives were presented in the action programme to enhance the biodiversity of forests. These initiatives will enhance the protection of nature values in commercially utilised forests as well as restore forests in nature protection areas. The actions to enhance forest biodiversity are being channelled to areas in which the greatest effectiveness will be achieved. For further information, please contact: Assistant Department Head Pentti Lähteenoja, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, tel. +358 9 1605 3351, pentti.lahteenoja@mmm.fi Project Manager Mikko Kuusinen, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 9 160 39350, mikko.kuusinen@vyh.fi ************************* MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY LAUNCHES THE FUTURE OF THE FOREST SECTOR FORUM IN FINLAND The Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is launching a programme called the Future of the Forest Sector Forum. The University of Joensuu has been chosen to instigate the Forum. Five working groups - the environment, social sustainability, forest management, wood products industry and forest technology - are being set up to explore the various development trends and so-called "weak signals" in the forest sector. Representatives of key organisations for the forest sector from the fields of administration, development and futures studies will be invited to make up the membership of the groups. The Forum will also include three national seminars on the future. The Future Forum will foster the affluence based on the forests by forecasting development trends affecting the forest sector. Through its activities the Forum will support the development of the national forest policy and other sectors significant to the future of the forest industry. At the same time it will offer tools that can be utilised in the development work of everyone involved in the sector. The Future of the Forest Sector Forum is expected to make it easier to forecast the future through the broad-based team of participants from various fields and systematic analysis of the results. The seminars on the future are open events at which new trends affecting the forest industry are identified and assessed. It is important to find out what the prospective trends and weak signals, especially, portend for the forest sector. Weak signals are the first signs of either opportunities for or risks to the future of the sector. A preliminary appraisal of the project has been drawn up by the Finnish Forest Association at the request of the Ministry. Initially, the project is planned as a two-year venture, but the aim is to continue the Forum by three years if warranted by the results of the start-up phase. The Ministry has allocated a total of 420,000 euros to implement the Future Forum during a two-year period. For further information, please contact: Mr Aarne Reunala, Director General, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, tel. +358 9 160 53350, +358 400 437 222 Ms Sinikka Jalasjoki, Senior Officer, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, tel. +358 9 1605 2414 Professor Perttu Vartiainen, Rector, University of Joensuu, tel. +358 13 251 111 Professor Olli Saastamoinen, University of Joensuu, tel. +358 13 251 3626, +358 50 5522 296 Professor Paavo Pelkonen, University of Joensuu, tel. +358 13 251 3641 ************************* NEW ACT ON COMMON FORESTS INTO FORCE IN FINLAND The new Act on Common Forests that entered into force in March 2003 will reduce the regulation of common forests and promote the establishment of new common forests and the involvement of new shareholders in common forests. The Act will eliminate the transfer limitations for shares in common forests. Under the new Act on Common Forests, only the disbandment of a common forest will remain subject to permit. In Finland there are currently 135 common forests with a combined area of about 500,000 hectares, which is approximately 1.8 per cent of the country's forest area. The annual planned cut in common forests is about 600,000 solid cubic metres. There are some 18,000 shareholders in common forests. The number of hectares and shareholders in common forests varies widely. The greatest number of common forests are located in south-west Finland and Lapland. For further information, please contact: Mr Vilppu Talvitie, Senior Officer, Legal Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, tel. +358 9 160 52293 ************************* STORMS CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO FORESTS IN FINLAND IN 2002 It is estimated that the storms in July 2002 felled a million cubic metres of timber in southern Finland. Trees were also affected by the protracted period of dryness from July to September and the heavy falls of snow early in the winter. The damage arising from the draught will become evident next summer. The vitality of the trees has remained unaffected. The information is based on the forest damage survey published annually by the Finnish Forest Research Institute and Finland's annual survey of forest condition monitoring under the UN/ECE and EC programmes. The harvesting of trees damaged by the storm succeeded well, and no significant amounts of wood suitable as breeding grounds for pests were left in the forests. Air pollution decreased The concentrations of impurities in the air and depositions of acidifying compounds have decreased substantially in recent years on account of agreements to limit emissions. Acid deposition in the year 2000 was less than during the period 1987 to 1996 on average. Concentrations of gaseous compounds in the air have also decreased from 1985. For example, sulphate sulphur and nitrogen depositions are extremely low compared with many regions in Central Europe. A significant proportion of the load in Finland comes from Central Europe. For further information, please contact: Forest damage: Ms Katriina Lipponen, tel. +358 10 211 2390, e-mail: katriina.lipponen@metla.fi Mr Antti Pouttu, tel. +358 10 211 2576, e-mail: antti.pouttu@metla.fi Forest condition: Mr Hannu Raitio, tel. +358 3 443 5241, e-mail: hannu.raitio@metla.fi Mr Martti Lindgren, tel. +358 10 211 2537, e-mail: martti.lindgren@metla.fi ************************* APPOINTMENTS The President of the Republic has appointed Mr Juha Korkeaoja, M.Sc. (Agriculture), farmer, Finland's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry as from April 17, 2003. ************************* ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/06/19/20030619BIT00050/wkr0001.pdf Appendix