Ecological Planning of State Owned forest in Finland Forestry seminar August 28, 2003 Petri Heinonen

Lands and waters administered by Metsähallitus WATERS 3.3 mill. hectares LANDS 9.0 mill. hectares: 27 % of the total land area 38%45% 17% Forest land in managed forests 3.4 mill. hectares; 17 % of the productive forest land Conservation areas, wilderness reserves and other areas 4.1 mill. hectares Scrub and non-productive land 1.5 mill. hectares

Metsähallitus applies functional planning systems Natural resource planning Operational planning Landscape ecological planning Special planning Participation Stakeholders participate in planning

Landscape Ecological Planning The development of the method was started in 1993 together with Finnish Environment Institute, Pilot plan of Vuokki in 1994 and large-scale launching of the project in Objectives To ensure the survival of an area's natural species over the long term To ensure the multiple use of forests: game habitats, scenery, hiking routes, other recreational use and forestry To reinforce area’s protected area network by valuable nature habitats in production forests To harmonise ecological, economical and socio-cultural objectives General Principles Planning area hectares Plans were drawn in cooperative projects by specialists representing forestry, nature conservation and recreational use of forests Stakeholders and local inhabitants are invited to participate

The Data Collection in the LEP Field inventory Species Dead and decaying wood other structural features GIS Tree data Site Water condition Key biotopes Threatened species Game Other livelihoods Protected areas Other special areas Other sources of data Base maps Aerial photos Land-use planning Mapping of nature values Other inventories Register of threatened sp. Special plans Participatory planning Working groups Local inhabitants National group of specialistsNational group of specialists

Landscape Ecological Plan Key Biotopes Threatened species Protected area network Ecological connection Game areas Restoration Biodiversity enhancement areas Scenic forests Cultural values Special areas for other livelihoods Targets for proportion of old-growth forests, broadleaved trees and broadleaved dominated forests and for prescribed burning Landscape Ecological Plan

Landscape Ecological Planning Project All in all 112 Lanscape Ecological Plans were drawn The plans cover 6,4 mill. hectares of state lands The treeless tundra of Northern Lapland is not covered The project took 160 person years of labour 20 person years of labour by professional biologists Majority of the labour was field work Total project costs 7,6 mill. € An open process: more than 6000 persons beyond Metsähallitus participated in the planning process one way or another.more than 6000 persons 221 Public Hearings totalling 4420 persons 115 Stakeholder Group Meetings totalling 873 various parties 100 other occasions totalling 943 persons

The Results of LEP Special areas were defined in the commercial and recreational forests of the state as follows: All in all hectares of Valuable Nature Habitats (WKH) of whichWKH hectares on productive forest lands All in all hectares of Ecological Connections of which hectares on productive forest lands and of these hectares spruce dominated; the nature values of these will be preserved permanently 6883 occurrences of threatened and other remarkable species were foundthreatened and other remarkable species hectares of productive forest land was left permanently beyond forestrypermanently beyond forestry Forestry was limited on hectares of productive forest land Scenic forests Cultural areas Game areas The Net Ecological Investment 24 mill. €/a

Evaluation of Landscape Ecological Planning General Statement ”Landscape-ecological planning of Metsähallitus represents a remarkable development towards ecologically, economically and socio-culturally sustainable forestry.” A Holistic Multidimensional Evaluation Evaluation was implemented by Helsinki Consulting Group Oy Ltd Team Leader: Prof. Jari Niemelä University of Helsinki, Faculty of Science, Department of ecology and systematics. Team of 10 members representing multiple scientific expertise ”Implementation of the landscape-ecological plans will have significant positive impacts on preservation of biodiversity and maintenance of species.” ”There are, however, some deficiencies and problems related to the scientific basis and application of the planning system, and therefore further development is necessary.” ”Metsähallitus has put the landscape-ecological planning system into practice fairly efficiently and quickly.”

Development of Landscape Ecological Planning Monitoring of impacts Recreation Nature Tourism Natural livelihoods Protection of Habitats and Natural Dynamics Participatory Planning Environmental Code of Forestry Research Development Cooperation Instructions for LEP Systems GIS Cutting Budget Reporting Monitoring of Activities Other Projects PP at operational level BD enhancement Prescribed burning Restoration Other Kainuu Project Combining NRMP’s and LEP

Participatory Planning by Metsähallitus Regional Natural Resources Management Plans Landscape Ecological Plans

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: WKHWKH

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: Age-ClassesAge-Classes

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: Site-ClassesSite-Classes

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: endangered speciesendangered species

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: the magnitudethe magnitude

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: ecological investments

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: GameGame

Game Areas - Capercaillie Leks Three different areas to be taken into account in forestry 1. The center of the Lek (breeding ground) 2. The Lek the territories of the cocks, c. 20 ha 3. The breeding region the day territories of the cocks, the radii of the area c. 1 km The Structure of the Stand in the Lek Elderly or mature forest number of stems s/ha visibility m (at height of 1m) pine dominated

Game Areas - Capercaillie Leks The Logging Procedures The center of the lek will be left untouched Regeneration areas 0,5-1,5 ha in maximum Maximum width of the regeneration area 50 m Intermediate cuttings 400 s/ha will be left in minimum trees less than 6 m height 30 % of the area of the lek in maximum Objective is to maintain diversity in the stand; fodder pines plus other sturdy pines and aspen lower vegetation (visibility max. 70 m) a buffer zone against open ground No forest roads or snow scooter trails through the lek The upper picture visualizes the right treatment