Participatory forest planning
One third of Finland’s forests are State-owned and the general public are consulted in matters related to management plans and felling. The State-owned forests, administered by state enterprise Metsähallitus, lie chiefly in the north and intertwine in countless ways in the everyday lives of local people.
The involvement of the various stakeholder groups from local inhabitants to NGOs and the forest industry is known as participatory forest planning and forest management. During the process possible conflicts and disagreements are threshed out in working groups, public meetings and communication on paper or over the internet.Director General Aarne Reunla of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry says the participatory approach has solved conflicts and improved the quality of forest planning. On the other hand, if views are very sharply opposed, some party is bound to be disappointed.
Reunala says it is important that forest products for export are not burdened by any conflicts on the wood used. “The participatory approach helps to prevent serious conflicts, where the rights of a certain party might be compromised."
Down to brass tacks
With two thirds of Finnish forest being privately owned, the planning and management of most Finnish forests lies outside the participatory approach. However, it does touch indirectly upon the use and protection of private forests through various forest programmes: the National Forest Programme, Regional Forest Programmes and Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland (METSO). Reunala regards the METSO process one of the success stories in participatory approach. METSO has introduced many new models of voluntary protection of nature values, including temporary protection for agreed compensation.The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the proof of the participatory approach is how it works when the antagonists meet face to face to discuss their disagreements.
KATI LEPPÄLAHTI
PHOTO HARRI NURMINEN
