Metsähallitus (MH) is a state enterprise, which controls most of the forest and lands owned by the Finnish state. MH makes money for the state by logging the forests it controls. |
Most of the old growth forests of Finland are controlled by MH. Some of them are protected, some not. MH is logging forests that are valuable in terms of natural diversity and reindeer management, as a part of its normal procedures.
According to the Reindeer Herding Act, state-owned land in the area especially designated for reindeer management shall not be used in a way that causes considerable damage to the reindeer herding livelihood. Because most of the forests in northern Finland are owned by the state, the use of these forests is a key factor for the reindeer herding livelihood.
The loggings of MH have considerably damaged the grazing lands and disturbed the reindeer herding in different locations in the reindeer herding area. In the Sámi homeland and in other areas within the Area Especially Designated for Reindeer Herding (Reindeer Herding Act, 2§) the reindeer herders are starting to claim their rights as the loggings of MH proceed into new grazing areas and nobody is compensating for the losses.
Responsible for logging in Peurakaira are managing director mr. Jan Heino, jan.heino@metsa.fi, and district director mr. Tapio Pouta, tapio.pouta@metsa.fi
Responsible for MH within the ministry of Forestry and Agriculture are
director mr. Aarne Reunala, aarne.reunala@mmm.fi and minister Juha Korkeaoja, juha.korkeaoja@mmm.fi
Read more about Greenpeace forest campaign:
http://www.pefcwatch.org
http://www.greenpeace.org/forests
http://www.saveordelete.com