Old-growth forest logging
by governmental Forest and Park Service
October 1999
Raatikanvaara, Suomussalmi in eastern Finland
Clearcutting threatened species habitats

Great amounts of threatened and old-growth forest indicting species were found in voluntary inventories in Raatikanvaara in fall 1998. The Forest and Park Service (FPS) was immediately informed about the findings. Raatikanvaara was a 400-hectare old-growth forest-natural state swamp mosaic in Suomussalmi municipality in Eastern Finland.

The state enterprise Forest and Park Service clearcutted the habitats of the species in fall 1999. Before the logging the FPS did not contact any researchers nor did it answer the written enquiry by the Finnish Nature League about taking the threatened species habitats into account. Excerpts of the inventory report says:

"Assessment of the natural state of old-growth forest by means of indicating species and nature protection value

according to the spruce dominating forest assessment by Kotiranta and Niemelä (1996) [...] the sites in Raatikanvaara without any specific status or sites considered as game areas were considered worth 22 - 24 points. In the assessment of pine dominating forests the [Raatikanvaara sites] are worth at least 13 - 18 points. According to Kotiranta and Niemelä sites exceeding 10 points are nature protection-wise valuable, and sites exceeding 20 points very valuable."

 

Logging the threatened species findings in Raatikanvaara:
design and implementation: Mr Ilmari Tauriainen, FPS Suomussalmi
head of forestry in Kainuu: Mr Veikko Hiltunen, FPS Kajaani

Timber from Raatikanvaara was purchased by StoraEnso, UPM-Kymmene, Ulea Oy and Kuhmo Oy.

Logging old-growth forests is short-sighted stupidity and simply wrong. If you agree or are puzzled by the pictures in these pages, please, do not hesitate to contact the new Finnish minister for environment and the logger Forest and Park Service. You can also tell your opinion to the buyers: click the images below.