These forests of ours

A silver-haired man sets down his empty coffee cup on the saucer with a clink and looks with bright blue eyes at those sitting opposite him across the table.

“These forests of ours are so important to me that I couldn’t stay away,” he says, as if in explanation of his presence at this Metsähallitus public meeting to explain the government’s felling plans for local land.

A younger man sitting across the table from him makes no response to this attempt at starting a conversation. He scowls at a topographical map that he’s holding and scribbles something in his notebook.

The meeting has been arranged in the village of Suomussalmi in northeastern Finland because Metsähallitus is planning to do some felling in the Kaunisniemi forest area, where local people go cross-country skiing or drive snowmobiles in winter, and where they jog, walk their dogs, pick berries and mushrooms, and fish in Seitenahveninen lake or simply sit on the lake shore enjoying a camp fire.

Joggers discovered areas in Kaunisniemi marked with plastic ribbons months ago, and locals took this to mean that the Metsähallitus was planning extensive clear felling in their recreation area. Discovery of the marked areas set off intense debate in the local media and on the village main street. The outcry soon developed into a popular movement to protect the local forest.

What are they up to?

The meeting gets underway with the Metsähallitus regional director Veikko Hiltunen explaining in some details the natural resources plan for the region drawn up by a broad-based participatory group. Very well, but what about Kaunisniemi? That’s what everyone wants to know, but first they have listen to a presentation on Metsähallitus environmental guidelines.

At long last, the place in front of the screen is taken by Metsähallitus team foreman Heikki Juntunen, who is responsible for the felling plans in the area and their implementation. A map of Kaunisniemi flashes up on the screen, marked with fifty or so small red spots. These indicate the intended areas to be cleared. Bigger areas coloured in brown show where the forest will be thinned out. Immediately, the audience begin to fidget and whisper to each other.

“Kaunisniemi has 270 hectares of forest, of which less than 80 are affected by some kind of action under this plan. The felling areas marked out here are less than half a hectare and only total 29 hectares altogether, so they will blend in with the landscape pretty well,” Juntunen assures his listeners.

A man with a pony tail gets to his feet. “My name’s Matti Vainio. You certainly have some great guidelines for what you’re doing with the forest, but cutting down all those trees to open up vistas is very short-sighted, isn’t it? Before you know it, the space’ll be filled up with young trees and the vista’ll be gone again.”

Several of the following speakers are also against clear felling. They are particularly worried that because the terrain is so varied, the clearings may be visible from far out on the lake.

How about this?

At this stage, Juntunen takes the audience by surprise. “Well, what about the alternative felling plan? In Plan B, the total area of new clearings has been reduced to only six per cent.”

The map of the second felling plan makes the people of Suomussalmi fall completely silent for a moment. The red spots have been reduced to half, and most of the areas to be dealt with would be thinned out rather than clear-felled. Matti Vainio, who has a degree in forestry and is the leader of the popular lobby, asks for the floor again.

“Thank you for this second plan – it looks much better. This is a step in the right direction. Timber production can never be the main priority in a recreational forest.”

KATI LEPPÄLAHTI
PHOTO HARRI NURMINEN