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The actions of the Metso Programme |
The Metso-programme, or the forest biodiversity programme for Southern Finland, consists of 17 actions. Here is a description of each action and its proceeding.
Establishing criteria for conservation
Certain specific structural features and rare habitats of forests are crucial in ensuring continuous biodiversity. These features, defined by a working group in the Metso Programme were further specified in the light of the latest research findings as a part of the Metso Programme. These specified criteria are used in the selection processes of the pilot actions of the Metso Programme.
The idea behind the work was that if the important structural features and rare habitats are preserved, so will also be the endangered species relying on them. Because of this the endangered species as such were not on the top of the criteria created. Important structural features include for instance decayed wood and stout aspen. Rare habitats can mean for example herb-rich forests and swampy forests.
Establishing criteria for conservation was the first action of the Metso Programme. The Government-appointed broad-based expert committee specified the criteria in spring 2003. Also the environmental organisations had their representation in the working group. The criteria will be updated and developed according to the future experience.
Restoration and management of habitats in nature conservation areas
Only part of the forests and peatland in the nature conservation areas in the Metso area are in their natural state. The objective of the restoration is to restore the conditions altered by human actions to a state as close as possible to their natural state. Though most of the restoration measures are one-off actions, their aim is to initiate long-term natural processes, such as paludification. The action continues 2003-2007.
By the end of September 2005, a total of 136 sites with a total surface area of 8,650 has been restored in the Metso-area. Metsähallitus and Regional Environment Centres have a total of 550,000 euros per annum to be used for this action.
Collection of basic information on nature conservation areas
There is not enough up-to-date basic information on the forest stands in nature conservation areas in Finland. In the case of some areas, there are no site details either. The absence of basic stand-level information is an obstacle for the planning of management and use of the areas in question. This makes it more difficult to identify possible shortcomings in protection.
The aim of the action is to gather basic information on 1.7 million hectares of state-owned conservation areas in the whole country. 552,000 hectares of these are situated in the Metso area. The state-owned forestry enterprise, Metsähallitus started the process already in 2001.
By the end of October 2005 Metsähallitus has gathered basic information on 380,000 hectares in the Metso area. In the whole country information has been gathered from 3.15 million hectares which includes the remote-sensing material concerning Upper Lapland.
Trading in natural values
Trading in natural values means that a landowner enters into an agreement to maintain or improve specified natural values in his/her forest. In return he/she receives a regular payment from the “buyer” of these values, for example the State. Trading in natural values is one of the new conservation methods piloted in the Metso Programme. The pilot runs from 2003 to 2007.
The landowner makes a tender and the Regional Forest Centre and Environmental Centre decide whether the area qualifies according to the criteria of conservation (see the first action described). If so, and if the landowner accepts the offered compensation, a fixed-time agreement is drawn.
Trading in natural values -pilot is implemented in Satakunta and Southwest Finland regions. By the end of August 2005, 78 agreements with the total of 689 hectares have been drawn. Major part of the sites is forests with substantial amounts of decayed wood.
The average level of compensation for the landowner in the agreements drawn in 2003 was 170 euros per hectare and year, in 2004 the sum was 161 euros.
Competitive tendering
Competitive tendering is a new conservation method used in the Metso Programme. In competitive tendering environmental authorities invite landowners to submit tenders on structural features and rare habitats of forests in need of safeguarding. The aim is to get areas for long-time conservation, by establishing privately-owned nature conservation areas, through a fixed-term agreements or by State purchasing the area. The pilot closed in the end of 2005.
This action can also be used the complement the trading in natural values in case it doesn't bring enough the kind of structural features and rare habitats that really need safeguarding. This is one way to create not only individual plots for safeguarding the biodiversity but also a cost-effective network. Competitive tendering was implemented in Uusimaa and Pohjois-Savo regions as well as in Southwest Lapland.
Nature management areas
In nature management areas conservation, forestry and other commercial uses are coordinated. Nature management areas are founded on the basis of a proposal from the landowner. In these areas, forestry work in the immediate vicinity of a site with specific conservation values can be restricted to actions, which do not endanger the special features of the site in question. A nature management plan will be drawn up for the area, setting out normal forestry and felling suggestions as well as special nature management measures.
Use of income from selling state-owned lands in acquiring valuable conservation sites
State-owned forestry enterprise Metsähallitus funds land acquisitions for conservation programmes by exchanging some of state-owned land for such areas, and by selling forest and individual plots of land. The sales revenue is channelled into the acquisition of nature conservation areas. Metsähallitus can use up to five million euros per annum for this work from 2005 to 2013.
Metsähallitus has got offers from all over the country for exchange. Agreements have been made concerning ten areas, with a total area of 1,500 hectares. About 30 areas are due to be evaluated.
Cooperation networks for forest biodiversity
Cooperation networks for forest biodiversity are aiming at wide participation of biodiversity protection on a local level and after a local initiative. In addition to the forest owners possible stakeholders are recreational and environmental organisations, municipalities, tourism enterprises and public authorities.
The Metso Programme includes four pilot cooperative networks: Metso Häme in the county of Häme, MetsäVasu in the Lohja region, the herb-rich forest network in Central Carelia and From Sea to the Forests -network on the Ostrobothnian Coast. The pilot continues 2004-2006.
By September 2006, over 40 landowners have contacted the herb-rich forest network in Central Carelia. Most of the offered forest areas are herb-rich forests but other criteria-filling habitats have been offered, too. First agreements have been made with forest owners. The first private nature conservation area has been established and a nature management pilot is ongoing.
By September 2005, 77 hectares have been protected through the From Sea to the Forests -network. Approximately 30 areas are waiting for evaluation. On additional 80 hectares, negotiations are going on.
50 areas have been enrolled in Metso Häme by September 2005. Field evaluations are ongoing in these areas. Agreements have already been made concerning 35 of these. The areas include eskers, herb-rich forests and forest pastures. A variety of financial methods have been used.
In MetsäVasu in the Lohja region, first agreements were sealed in October 2005. There are so many criteria-filling areas in the region that there is the possibility to choose between the best representatives. Establishing a biologically effective network is also possible. The best offered areas are generally herb-rich forests.
Programme for strict forest protection
As the pilot phase of the Metso programme has ended, decisions will be made whether any of the tested actions will be taken into permanent use, in which way and how extensively. On this basis of the follow-up research concerning the Metso Programme there will be a decision made in 2007 whether a traditional, strict conservation programme based on the Conservation Act is also needed to safeguard the biodiversity in the forests of Southern Finland.
Nature management of commercial forests
With the help of Metso Programme, more funds are tried to obtain to preserve biodiversity in commercial forests. There are provisions for nature management in the Forest Act, and in some cases forest owners may be eligible for State subsidies for it. State support is also granted for the planning and implementation of forest nature management projects across parcel boundaries.
According to the Act on the Financing of Sustainable Forestry, forest owners are eligible for environmental support in reimbursement of significant financial losses arising from protection of forest biodiversity. The grounds for granting this form of environmental support have drawn criticism, and these problems are being addressed with the Metso Programme.
In 2004 Regional Forestry Centres had 3,695 million euros for nature management in the privately-owned commercial forests.
The state-owned forestry enterprise Metsähallitus is increasing the efficiency of nature management in the multiple use forests on state lands. Metsähallitus inventoried 340,000 hectares of multiple use forests. It led to the conservation of 4,952 hectares. This will decrease the logging amount by 30,000 cubic meters and the logging revenue by 823,000 euros annually.
Metsähallitus made a new Environmental Guidelines to Practical Forest Management -guidebook in cooperation with WWF Finland in 2004 to be used in state multiple use forests. These guidelines include significant changes concerning five aspects of the forest management:
• capercaillie (tetrao urogallus) lekking grounds
• defining and tending of habitats
• tending areas of special interest in forestry, such as important landscape and biodiversity enhancement areas
• buffer forests bordering the conservation areas and natural transitional zones
• water conservation
The guidebook also advises how to use new forest management practises, such as maintaining continuous forest coverage.
Education, planning, guidance and research
As part of the Metso Programme, the Ministry of Education studies whether training in forest biodiversity could be better incorporated into the training provided by vocational institutes and in forestry studies in higher education. In addition to this, Metsähallitus’s landscape ecological planning will be further developed.
As for the private family forest owners, forest planning systems are developed in such that they allow taking the forest owners’ own needs better into account.
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry commissioned an evaluation on the effectiveness and development needs of advisory services on forest biodiversity in 2005 from the Finnish Forest Research Institute.
This action closed in the end of 2005. For example, a guidebook about natural values tendering was made for forest owners.
Habitats of particular importance as defined in the Forest Act and the Forest Insect and Fungi Damage Prevention Act
The Forest Act defines certain habitats of particular importance that must not be logged. In some cases there have been misunderstandings whether a special site actually is or is not this kind of habitat. Now it is possible for the forest owner to have advance information from the authorities whether the habitats owned by him/her would be defined by Forest Act as valuable habitats and thus protected. The definitions of habitats of particular importance are also being harmonized in different parts of Finland.
In Finland it is forbidden to leave dead softwood in the forests after, for example, storms, because deadwood in forests can increase remarkably the risk of funghi and insects diseases destroying the rest of the forest. On the other hand, in some cases it would be beneficial for the biodiversity to leave dead wood in the forest. During 2005-2006 it is researched whether more damaged softwood could be left in the forest to decay without danger of spreading insect or funghi.
Protecting biodiversity in municipal and state-owned forests used for recreational purposes
As a part of the Metso programme the Ministry of the Environment commissioned a task group to research the possibilities of protecting biodiversity in municipal and state-owned forests used for recreational purposes.
Action for research and surveys on biodiversity
Perhaps the largest biodiversity research programme ever in Finland started in 2003 and ended in September 2006. This Mosse Programme was meant to provide practical information for the needs of safeguarding biodiversity and to develop follow-up methods for biodiversity. Mosse Programme consisted of 40 projects of which 18 concentrated on biodiversity issues, though not all on forests biodiversity. The funding of the programme was over two million euros annually. The closing seminar of the programme was held in September 2006.
In addition to this, the Ministry of the Environment funded a research which studied threatened and little-known species by 1–1.6 million euros. This was the most expensive study ever on species in Finland.
Forest conservation foundation
According to a study made by the Department of Forest Economics at the University of Helsinki, Finns are prepared to pay more than at present for forest protection. On average, people are willing to pay an average amount of about 110 euros per household per year for ten years for a programme that would protect half of the endangered species in Finland’s forests. As part of the Metso Programme, Government decided to investigate whether a forest conservation foundation could be established to make use of this willingness.
However, after an inquiry, the working group of the Ministry of Environment stated that there was not sufficient interest to donate the starting capital for the foundation. The issue will be considered again in 2007.
Monitoring and follow-up of the Metso Programme
According to the Government decision, the Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry is responsible for monitoring and evaluation of the Metso Programme as a whole. In this it is helped by the Forest Committee.
In practise the Finnish Environment Institute monitors the ecological impacts and the Finnish Forest Research Institute monitors the economic and social impacts of the Metso Programme. An overall evaluation of the ecological, social and economic impact of the programme was finalised in the beginning of November, 2006.
The Government’s recommendations
In addition to the actions decided in the Metso Programme the Government decided to recommend also the following actions to be taken as a part of the Metso Programme:
Forestry recommendations
The forest management recommendations of forestry organizations are reviewed on the basis of new research information and practical experience. Amendments will focus particularly on preserving mature aspen and dead and decaying trees. This work will be accomplished in 2006.
Taking birds into account
Forestry organizations should take birds into account in forest management operations even more than so far through training and a joint project. This aim is incorporated to the review of forest management recommendations.
Information and advisory
Information and advisory services are to be deployed to promote landscape ecological planning and the application of voluntary protection measures in forests owned by municipalities, church parishes and other organizations.
- Forestry Development Centre Tapio published a brochure about voluntary protection measures in autumn 2005. Also other brochures have been made.
- Forestry Development Centre Tapio, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and WWF Finland have made a brochure for forest owners on how to use section six of the Forest Act. The section instructs on felling options at special sites.
Prioritising the research
Universities, research institutions and funding bodies should give priority to research needs considered essential by the Government Committee that created the Metso Programme.
Using EU financing programmes
EU programmes should be used during 2000-2006 for projects important on the regional level, within the priorities and funding frameworks of the present programmes.
Finding new sources for finance
Different pilot projects should be funded in order to create new operating models for using different actors and sources of funding in, e.g., the regions covered by the cooperation network for forest biodiversity.
Taking landscapes into account
Attention should be given to ensure that management of natural landscapes and maintaining landscape types are included as an objective in EU programmes during the next programming period 2007-2013.
 Recommendations of the follow-up of the Metso Programme
 Website of the Metso Programme |
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