PEFC-certified clearcutting of culturally valuable old-growth forests in Eastern Finland, October-November 2000

Locals of the Kuivajärvi folklore village are promoting the establishment of a Valuable Landscape Area to save a historically valuable Old-Growth forest. State enterprise Forest and Park Service participates by clear-cut logging the area.

FPS¹s clear-cut loggings in old-growth forests surrounding a Viena Karelian folklore village

The Forest and Park Service is planning to log over 40 hectares of State-owned old-growth forest this winter in the culturally important Kuivajärvi area. Part of the clear-cut loggings were already done in October 2000. Besides their ecological importance, the forests hold values of national heritage. The Kuivajärvi village is one of the so-called Viena Karelian Kalevala Song villages.

FPS´s logging plans threaten the culturally valuable landscape and clear-cuts will cover the oldest known site of habitation of the Kuivajärvi-Hietajärvi folklore villages from the16th century. More information on Viena Karelian villages can be found at Juminkeko-culture foundation web-site at http://www.juminkeko.fi/viena/en/kuivajarvi.html

Local people wish to preserve the landscape

Local people of the Kuivajärvi village have suggested the forests to be included in the Kalevala-Park conservation area with the status of a so-called Valuable Landscape Area. Kainuun Liitto, a regional governmental unit, has named a committee to officially propose the establishment of the area. The committee should reach its conclusion in the beginning of 2001. Forest and Park Service has been represented in the committee since last June. Despite this, the negotiations seem to have no effect on loggings. Logging in the area started on October.

This is PEFC-certified forestry.

The establishment of the Kalevala-Park was last declared urgent in Kuhmo in October 2000 in the public announcement of a Fenno-Russian seminar of scientists and governmental bodies.