The governments forestry enterprise Metsähallitus has a legal obligation to negotiate with reindeer herding co-operatives on its forestry operations. In June 2005 Metsähallitus unilaterally terminated negotiations with reindeer herders and continued logging without fulfilling its legal tasks to negotiate. The reindeer herders were not always even informed on the loggings. In May 2006 Metsähallitus announced that the negotiations would now start again.

First of these new negotiations were held with Muddusjärvi- reindeer herding co-operative in June 2006. According to the reindeer herders, the talks couldn’t be called as negotiations.

They point out that:

1) Metsähallitus did not present sufficient information on logging plans, even though the herders have been asking these for many years

2) Metsähallitus only informed, not negotiated with the reindeer herders about loggings

3) The reindeer herders could not in any way influence on Metsähallitus´ decisions and plans

4) The first logging presented was located in grazing areas of crucial importance, and Metsähallitus started logging without taking any of the herders opinions into account

5) Metsähallitus informs the reindeer herders on logging plans far too late

The images on this page: Logging in Siuttajoki in August-September 2006. The logging destroyed both important tree-hanging- lichen pastures and lichen-grounds.