There is still no information about an agreement in the logging dispute between Metsähallitus and nature organizations. The Swedish Forest Agency wants to cut down \”thousands of cubic meters\ nature organizations think the islands should be left alone.
The two islands of the Oulujärvi camping area, Kuostonsaari and Kaarresalo, have been the subject of a dispute between Metsähallitus and nature conservation organizations for years. According to the parties, rapprochement has also taken place, but differences of opinion still exist.
Metsähallitus would like to conduct thinning-type felling on the island, that is, there will be no open felling. The state would like to clear 162 hectares of forest from Kuostonsaari and 45 hectares from Kaarressalo.
– I can say directly that we are going to be screwed tightly here. In my opinion, Metsähallitus could make that transfer, says Hyyryläinen.
Nature organizations have been fighting for administrative rights over the islands since 2017. The islands belong to the Oulujärvi camping area, the Natura 2000 network and the Rokua Geopark area, but they are not actual protected areas.
Can Kaarresalo remain untouched?
Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä investigated the nature of the islands in autumn 2017. According to them, the islands are very different in their forests.
In Kaarresalo, which is smaller in area, there are many forests over a hundred years old, the oldest trees can be over 150 years old. Nature organizations want it to be left to its own devices.
– We will twist it to the very end, says Hyyryläinen.
Metsähallitus Regional Director Arto Tolonen’s opinion is that it is precisely Kaarresalo where it is more difficult to find an agreement with nature organizations. However, the state is not absolute in its logging intentions, and it may be possible to reject them.
– You might have something like this in your mind, admits Tolonen.
\”Due to the small amount of logging, it is not worth going to the island\”
About two-thirds of Kuostonsaari belongs to the Oulujärvi camping area, which is Finland’s only inland water camping area. The trees in the Kuostonsaari camping area are also old.
The agreement on its logging may still be closer, because there, according to Hyyryläinen, the nature organizations could allow forestry measures – on the condition that the island is moved out of the forestry profit area in accordance with the requirements.
– In that case, light treatments could be carried out, where, for example, young, dense pine seedlings could be thinned out. But those trees would be left for local fire pits. In any case, the main activity would remain camping, says Hyyryläinen.
Arto Tolonen reminds that there are also privately owned areas on the island, whose owners are interested in thinning.
According to Tolonen, the crux of the matter for Metsähallitus is how big can be cut on the islands.
– Just because of the small amount of logging, it’s not worth going to such an island. There must be thousands of cubes to cut. Of course, the islands are so big that you can easily get wood from them, even if only one is cut down, says Tolonen.
Years of appeals can start all over again
According to Hyyryläinen, nature organizations and Metsähallitus have had disagreements about the classification of the islands’ forests. The islands have so-called boreal natural forest, i.e. old natural forest.
In its decision two years ago, the Supreme Administrative Court required that Metsähallitus make an assessment of how the planned logging would affect the nature values \u200b\u200bof the islands.
Now the Natura assessment ordered by Metsähallitus from a consultant is ready and is being processed by the ely center. Metsähallitus plans to wait for the board’s decision before deciding whether to refine or change the logging plans for the islands of Kuosto and Kaarresalo.
In Vesa Hyyryläinen’s opinion, it is entirely possible that the cycle of appeals will continue again, once the decision on the ely center is made.
*You can discuss logging on the islands of Oulujärvi* with the *Yle ID**. The discussion ends on September 27 at 11 p.m.*