METSO is both an acronym for the Finnish name of the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland, and the Finnish name of the capercaillie, a rare forest game bird

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METSO - Forest Biodiversity Programme for
Southern Finland 2008-2016
METSO is both an acronym for the Finnish name of
the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern
Finland, and the Finnish name of the
capercaillie, a rare forest game bird
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Background - The area of strictly protected
forests is high in Finland
MCPFE classes 1.1. no interventions, 1.2.
minimal interventions, 1.3. active management.
Data for Germany, Estonia and Luxembourg
included in Natura 2000 areas. Sources State of
Europe's Forests 2007. State of Finland's Forests
2007
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Background Most of protected areas are located
in Northern Finland

• The numerous protection programmes and decisions
  in Finland have contributed to a three-fold
  increase in the area of protected forests in the
  last 30 years

Nature conservation areas by forest vegetation
zones. Source State of Finland's Forests 2007.
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Background - Forests in Finland

• Finland is the most forested country in the EU,
  with 74 of the land area covered by forest
• In Southern Finland, 72 of forests are owned by
  private families
• About one in every six Finns is a forest owner
  (920.000 owners, 440.000 holdings)
• Small-scale forestry average holding size is
  about 24 hectares
• Sustainable forestry annual growth about 100
  million m3 and drain about 70 million m3
• Certified forestry 95 of forests PEFC-certified
• Safeguarding biodiversity in Finnish forests
  highlighted, further action in Southern Finland
  needed -gt METSOs voluntary schemes

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METSO Programme The goal

• The new METSO Programme aims to halt the ongoing
  decline in the biodiversity of forest habitats
  and species, and establish favourable trends in
  Southern Finlands forest ecosystems by 2016, in
  line with internationally defined biodiversity
  targets

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Objectives

• Improving Finlands network of protected areas
• Continuing and enhancing application of nature
  management methods in commercially managed
  forests
• Improving the knowledge base
• Collaboration between forest and environmental
  organizations, advice to forest owners, training
  of professionals and communication

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Framework for METSO Programme

• International dimension METSO Programme is an
  integral part of Finlands implementation of
  various international agreements (CBD, UNFF,
  MCPFE, etc.)
• Part of Finlands National Forest Programme
• Pilot phase 2003 2007
• Government resolution issued March 2008,
  including decision on funding METSO Programme
  (182 million for budget period 2009 2012) and
  to complete existing nature conservation
  programmes
• METSO Programme aims to apply cost-effective
  measures to acquire the most ecologically
  valuable forest sites in southern Finland for
  temporary conservation or permanent protection

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Programme elements

• Ecological site selection criteria significant
  wooded habitats, particularly significant
  structural features
• Restoration and nature management of habitats in
  protected areas
• Development of Finlands network of protected
  areas
• Safeguarding biodiversity in privately-owned
  forests nature management plans, subsidies for
  natural values in commercially managed forests,
  changes in forest legislation
• Cooperation network
• Natural values trading and related cooperation
• Nature management measures in commercially
  managed State forests
• Ensuring biodiversity in municipal recreation
  forests and State hiking areas
• Advice to forest owners and training of forest
  professionals
• Communications
• Improving the knowledge base
• Developing monitoring, information systems and
  statistics
• Inventories of habitats and species
• Monitoring and evaluation of Programme

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Selection criteria

• Significant wooded habitats for biodiversity
  include
• Herb-rich forests
• Heathland forests with plenty of decaying wood
• Forests adjacent to springs and pools
• Wooded mires and the wooded margins of open mires
• Swampy woodlands and wooded flood meadows
• Sunlit slopes on sandy esker ridges
• Biodiversity sites along emergent coastlines
• Wooded heritage biotopes
• Wooded habitats on calcium-rich bedrock and
  ultra-alkaline soil
• Wooded cliffs, bluffs and boulder fields
  important for biodiversity
• Particularly significant structural features,
  ecological orientations and other habitat
  features
• Decaying wood decayed fallen trees, dead
  standing trees, stumps, snags, holed trees,
  windthrows
• Large, old deciduous trees aspens, birches, goat
  willows, rowans
• Trees of southern broad-leaved species
• Burnt wood from large trees
• Features associated with herb-rich woodland,
  spruce mires, springs, high moisture levels,
  swampy terrain and fens
• Influence of groundwater or calcium,
  nutrient-rich bedrock
• Natural or easily restorable hydrological
  conditions

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Schedule of implementation
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Natural values trading

• Cooperation between regional environmental
  centres and forestry centres annually a joint
  invitation to tender natural values based on
  ecological selection criteria taylormade for
  each region intensified marketing for specific
  conservation needs
• Cooperation with forest management associations
• Protection measures initiated by landowner
• Reciving tenders includes a survey of basic
  information on the site
• Good and comprehensive information for
  authorities facilitates procedure
• On-the-spot visits application of ecological
  criteria assessment and calculation for sale
  price or compensation to be paid
• Landowners have opportunity to present their
  views on compensation or price to be paid
• If agreement, preparation of transaction and/or
  concluding the contract for establishment of
  private protected area or a contract for a
  specific time period

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METSO - a new way of thinking

• METSO has brought a new way of thinking to
  Finnish nature conservation
• Innovative voluntary means for landowners to
  promote biodiversity against compensation
• A radical shift away from the designation of
  protected areas by the authorities to voluntary
  conservation agreements based on supply and
  demand factors
• Forest-owners are now increasingly responding to
  societys desire to preserve ecologically
  valuable forest habitats by offering their
  forests for temporary conservation or permanent
  protection
• The crucial difference is that such conservation
  is voluntary
• Instead of acquiring sites for protection on a
  compulsory basis, the authorities call for
  landowners to offer ecologically valuable sites
  in their forests for conservation, through
  negotiated agreements that leave both parties
  satisfied

Implementation through ecologically effective,
voluntary and cost-effective means
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For more information on METSO Programme

• http//wwwb.mmm.fi/metso/international/
• http//www.mmm.fi/en/index/frontpage/forests/metso
  .html

Thank you!