The old-growth forests are marked for logging in wilderness of Kessi, located in eastern Inari north from Nellim and in Haippakotavaara, west from Inari. Planned logging sites are old-growth forests in natural state with their hundreds of years old trees and tree-hanging lichen. These forests are of crucial importance for reindeer herding as wintertime pastures.

Metsahallitus knows that the areas are important for reindeer herding. The areas are marked in the maps published in 2003 by reindeer herding co-operatives and Greenpeace. Metsähallitus is obliged to negotiate with the reindeer herders about logging plans and other activites that have effect on reindeer herding, but this has been once again ignored by Metsähallitus. There has not been any kind of negotiations about the current logging plans.

Logging plans in habitats of red-listed species

Planned logging sites are habitats for many red-listed species. The researchers of Finnish NGO Nature League found over two hundred occurrences of red-listed species were from the planned logging sites in Haippakotavaara this week.

Metsahallitus logged in the same areas in the autumn and winter of 2005. Habitats of threatened and specially protected fungi species were logged then, and this seems to be the case once again.

Wood for Metsäliitto-group?

According to StoraEnso, the company does not receive wood from disputed areas in Inari at the moment.

This means that the wood now is sold to Metsaliitto, who produces wood for Metsa-Botnia pulp mill in Kemi. Metsa-Botnia is owned by M-Real and UPM.

Most of the production of Metsa-Botna Kemi mill is used in M-Real´s Kemiart mill.

Metsaliitto and M-Real have not been interested in the social and environmental impacts of their wood procurement from Upper Lapland. The companies have rejected Greenpeace´s request for meeting about the issue. They have also refused to tell about their wood procurement volumes from Metsahallitus; according to Metsaliitto, the origin of the wood is classified information.