Botnia and Stora Enso Turning Old Growth into Magazines in Finland

Finnish governmental forestry enterprise Metsahallitus has begun construction of roads leading into the planned logging sites in the Intact Forest Landscape of Pokka-Pulju in Finnish Lapland, the largest area of unprotected old growth forest left in North Finland, just south of the Sammi people's homeland.

The forests of Pokka-Pulju are intact, virgin old-growth forests in their natural state. They have never been logged before. The Finnish government will now start industrial logging in this pristine area. This clearing of Intact Forest Landscape is occurring to supply the needs of the Finnish pulp and paper industry despite intense objection from people around the world.

Lemmenjoki National Park, Pulju wilderness protection area and unprotected forests of Pokka-Pulju together form a roadless area of over 3294 square-km. The threatened part of the area, Pokka-Pulju is 130 square-km of old-growth forests, mires and treeless hills.

Wood logged from the Northern Finnish old-growth forests is sold to Botnia (owned by UPM and M-Real) and Stora Enso. The wood already logged from roadline is labelled to Botnia mills in Kemi.

Local conservationists are encouraging concerned people everywhere to contact the Prime Minister of Finland Matti Vanhanen and seek the protection the old growth forests of Pokka-Pulju.

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