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Press
release November 7, 2000
The
Forest and Park Service logs habitat of threatened Siberian jay in
Southern Finland - NGOs protest at the site
The
Finnish Nature League today witnessed one of the first PEFC-certified
clearcuttings in a valuable old forest. The habitat of a regionally
threatened Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus) is being logged
in Riponeva area in Southern Finland.
The
holder of the state forests, the Forest and Park Service (FPS) started
a large logging in a habitat of a regionally threatened bird Siberian
jay (Perisoreus infaustus) on Monday, November 6. The logging site
is situated in Riponeva area in municipality of Virrat, Southern
Finland.
Part
of the 60-hectare logging site was already logged in October. Loggings
were later halted on the request of nature organizations. During
the halt, the area was inspected by bird experts who stated that
the area is extremely important for the Siberian jay. Both national
and regional nature organizations then proposed protection ofthe
area until proper surveys are made. The FPS responded to the appeal
by starting the logging on November 6.
20
members of the Finnish Nature League, the Finnish Association for
Nature Conservation and the Pirkanmaa Ornithological Society protested
against the logging by setting up a camp at the site this morning.
Organizations demand the FPS to give up the logging immediately.
FPS
reduces distribution of Siberian jay
The
Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus) lives in old-growth forests
in Northern taiga. Its Finnish population has declined to 1/3 of
the population 60 years ago due to intensive forest management.
In the new IUCN red list it has been classified as "nearly threatened"
in the whole country. In Southern Finland the bird is endangered.
The logging at the Riponeva area may accelerate the regional extinction
of Siberian Jay.
Valuable
forests must be protected
Only
1,1 % of the forests south of the lake Oulunjärvi have been protected.
The level of protection is fully inadequate. The forest protection
in Southern Finland should start from the state owned forests like
Riponeva where possibilities to return towards natural state are
biggest.
"State
of Finland should give an example of protecting forests. Logging
forests like Riponeva is irresponsible", says forest campaigner
Matti Liimatainen from the Finnish Nature League.
More
information
forest
campaigner Matti Liimatainen liimatainen(@)sll.fi
>>>
Photos from Riponeva action on November 7
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