Save the Sámi Reindeer Forests: Greenpeace Forest Rescue Station, Inari Finland

Stora Enso excluded from ethical fund

Photos from ongoing logging operations can be viewed in Flickr.

]]> PRESS RELEASE BY THE SAAMI COUNCIL 7 June 2007

ITALIAN ETHICAL FUND EXCLUDES STORA ENSO BECAUSE OF INARI WOOD

Stora Enso's purchase of wood from Saami reindeer grazing areas in the
Inari area in Upper Lapland has prompted an Italian Ethical Fund –
Banca Etica – to exclude Stora Enso from its ethical investment
portfolio. Banca Etica made this decision based on the exclusion of
Stora Enso from the Ethibel Pioneer Index. Ethibel is an independent
consultancy agency for Socially Responsible Investors and the Ethical
Pioneer Index only includes the 'absolute pioneers in sustainable
business' . Ethibel has confirmed that the exclusion of Stora Enso
from the Ethibel Pioneer Index is because of Stora Enso's involvement
in contraversies in Upper Lapland.

- We took the Stora Enso issue to Ethibel in November 2005 and met
with Ethibel's ethical analyists in Brussels. We are very pleased with
Ethibel's decision, says Pauliina Feodoroff, President of the Saami
Council. At the same time we want to commend Stora Enso for deciding
to no longer purchase timber from the Inari area. Still, the decision
by Ethibel demonstrates that any company that logs in forests
important to reindeer husbandry, or that purchases products deriving
from such areas, will be held accountable for breaching ethical and
sustainability principles. The same goes for any other kind of
resource exploitation in Sápmi. The Saami Council's ambition is to
continue to highlight these kinds of breaches by companies. We will
not tolerate the destruction of areas important to the Saami
traditional livelihoods. We are determined to bring these kinds of
breaches to the attention of national and international tribunals, to
the customers of companies, to Socially Responsible Investors, to
asset managers and to ethical analyists invovled in the assessment of
a company's ethical and sustainability performance, concludes
Feodoroff.

Meanwhile, the Finnish state and its logging enterprise,
Metsähallitus, continue to contribute to the destruction of Saami
reindeer husbandrly. For the last year and a half, Metsähallitus has
refrained from logging in key winter reindeer herding pastures in
Inari, respecting a decision by the UN Human Rights Committee in
November 2005, calling on Finland to refrain from logging in the
Nellim area in Inari. Nevertheless, Metsähallitus resumed logging in
the Inari area again on the 14th of May, 2007 in the forests of Kessi
wilderness in Hannunkotavaara, which is in the Paatsjoki reindeer
herding area. In doing so, Metsähallitus has completely ignored the
objections of the local Saami reindeer herders.

The Saami Council is extremely disappointed that the logging in the
Inari area has resumed. The Saami Council finds it suprising that
Finland, through Metsähallitus, has resumed the loggings at the same
time as the market has labelled the loggings as unethical.

- Metsähallitus is clearly aware that purchasing products from the
Inari area is deemed unethical by the outside world. This is evidenced
by the fact that despite several inquires, Metsähallitus refuses to
reveal the buyer of the wood, says Feodoroff.

The Saami Council would like to encourage the new Minister for
Agriculture and Forestry - Sirkka-Liisa Anttila- to solve this
conflict situation in a constructive way. Metsähallitus
representatives have themselves admitted several times that they
cannot solve the situation with the reindeer herders because
Metsähallitus does not have the mandate to lower logging quotas. This
mandate is in the hands of the Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry.
It is therefore the responsibility of the new Finnish Government to
solve this issue.

For more information:
Pauliina Feodoroff, President, +358 40500 41 45
Mattias Åhrén, Head of the Human Rights Unit, +47 47 37 91 61

See Last Yoik in Saami Forests - documentary preview

Documentary film by Union of Ecoforestry in Finland and Saami Council is available as DVD. You can order your copy from Union of Ecoforestry website. Short introduction can be viewed in YouTube

Logging restarted in the disputed forests

Logging has restarted in the disputed Saami reindeer forests in Inari. Finnish state has decided to continue the destruction of old-growth wilderness forests in Kessi. Photos from current logging operations can be viewed in the Finnish weblog. Read what Saami Council has to say.

]]> PRESS RELEASE

May 29, 2007

SAAMI COUNCIL REQUESTS THAT FINNISH STATE SOLVES FORESTRY DISPUTES IN INARI

Saami Council, a Non-Governmental Organisation representing the Saami people across four countries, is extremely disappointed in Metsähallitus’ decision to resume loggings in Saami reindeer pasture areas in Inari.

For the last year and a half Metsähallitus – the Finnish state logging enterprise - has refrained from logging in key winter reindeer herding pastures in Inari. All of the Saami representative organs - including The Saami Parliamentary Council of the Saami Parliaments, The Saami Parliament of Finland, Saami Council and many other Saami organs from Sweden, Norway, Russia and Finland - have supported the pasture preservation efforts of the local reindeer herders. The UN Human rights committee also instructed Finland to refrain from logging in the Nellim area in Inari in November of 2005. Nevertheless, Metsähallitus resumed logging in the Inari area again on the 14th of May, 2007 in the forests of Kessi wilderness in Hannunkotavaara, which is in the Paatsjoki reindeer herding area. Local Saami reindeer herders have not approved these new loggings.

Saami Council would like to encourage the new Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Sirkka-Liisa Anttila, to solve this conflict situation in a constructive way. Metsähallitus representatives have themselves admitted several times that they cannot solve the situation with the reindeer herders because Metsähallitus does not have the mandate to lower logging quotas. This mandate is in the hands of the Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry. It is therefore the responsibility of the new Finnish Government to solve this issue.

The largest woodbuyers (Stora Enso and Metsäliitto) have announced that they will no longer buy wood from the disputed areas in Inari. Recent attention on the contraversies surrounding the purchase of this wood have resulted in Metsähallitus refusing to reveal the new buyer of the wood.

A lot of new research-based information has been produced during last year and a half, which shows that forestry causes severe damage to traditional reindeer herding pastures. Pastures are destroyed as old-growth forests vanish and layers of ground linchen and tree hanging lichen become thinner.

- Saami Council appeals to the New Government of Finland to redeem its promises to the Saami People, and to the international community, to take responsibility and solve the forestry conflicts. Saami Council demands that the loggings must be immediately terminated and that ceased negotiations are restarted. Negotiations between reindeer herders and Metsähallitus should arbitrated by a independent mediator and should follow the principle of “free, prior and informed consent”, says Pauliina Feodoroff, Saami Council President.

Saami Council would also like to encourage the Finnish government to create alternative forestry activities for the forestry workers, so that they may undertake work that does not involve logging in key Saami reindeer herding areas. The Finnish Government’s forestry profitibilaty requirement for Upper Lapland needs to be abandoned in order to achieve this employment goal.

Pauliina Feodoroff, President of the Saami Council
Outi Maria Paadar, Secretary General, Saami Council

More information:
- Mr. Mattias Åhrén, Head of the Human rights unit, Saami Council, tel. + 47 47379161
- Mr. Juha Magga, member of the Saami Council, tel. + 358 400246468

Photos from planned logging sites in Kessi wilderness

Finnish governmental forestry service Metsahallitus is planning logging in the wilderness forests of Kessi. The buyer of old-growth forest wood is most likely Botnia pulp mill in Kemi, supplying M-Real´s Kemiart mills. See photos taken in planned logging sites.

]]> 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 procures wood for Metsa-Botnia pulp mill in Kemi. Metsa-Botnia is owned by M-Real and UPM.

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

Metsaliitto and M-Real have refused to tell about their wood procurement volumes from Metsahallitus; according to Metsaliitto, the origin of the wood is classified information.

Click the thumbnails to get bigger image.

photos 2006 © Matti Snellman/Greenpeace

Reindeer herders in Inari: most recent negotiations with Metsähallitus failed

Forestry enterprise Metsahallitus has since August been logging in crucially important reindeer grazing forests in Muddusjärvi reindeer herding co-operative´s area. According to the reindeer herders, Metsähallitus did not negotiate about the logging plans and the opinions of the herders were not taken into account.

]]> 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 couldnt 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.

Inari reindeer herders disappointed on Natural Resources Plan

Joint working group of Inari reindeer herding co-operatives sent out a press release on June 21st. They are disappointed on the Natural Resources Plan of Metsähallitus. The reindeer herders call for negotiations, but Metsähallitus will start logging in August.

]]> TRANSLATED PRESS RELEASE FROM JOINT WORKING GROUP OF INARI REINDEER HERDING CO-OPERATIVES

WWW.INARINPALISKUNNAT.ORG

= = = = =

Joint working group of Inari reindeer herding co-operatives press release 21.6.2006

STILL NO NEGOTIATIONS LOGGING IN INARI WILL CONTINUE

Joint working group of Inari reindeer herding co-operatives is disappointed in the new Natural Resources Plan (NRP) of Metsähallitus. Logging in reindeer grazing forests will continue.

The Inari reindeer herding co-operatives have for many years asked for negotiations to solve the forest dispute. Instead of negotiations, Metsähallitus in a joint meeting today presented its new NRP, which has been made without participation of the reindeer herding co-operatives.

Metsähallitus also proposed discussions separately with each reindeer herding co-operative about the specific locations of logging plans in their area. These discussions cannot be regarded as negotiations, because Metsähallitus has not agreed to negotiate forestry decisions in all important reindeer grazing areas as a whole, but will only discuss the locations of next loggings.

The NRP is an internal planning system of Metsähallitus, where Metsähallitus alone holds the decision-making power. Its central aim in theory is to guarantee the rights of the Saami culture and reindeer herding in forest use. The Finnish state has through legislation committed itself to safeguard the preconditions of reindeer herding livelihood in the Saami area.

The aim is still not reached, because the annual logging quota is still too high to protect the important reindeer grazing areas. The mandate and means of State´s enterprise Metsähallitus to make decisions are not sufficient to safeguard local jobs both in forestry and reindeer herding.

The inadequate mandate of Metsähallitus was the primary reason for the failure of the previous negotiations between the reindeer herding co-operatives and Metsähallitus in the summer of 2005. That fundamental problem is also the reason why the Inari reindeer herding co-operatives did not take part in the new NRP. Instead, the co-operatives have many times appealed to the Finnish government to start real negotiations with the co-operatives.

The logging quota in the new NRP would only leave a few of the important grazing areas outside of forestry. Most of the grazing areas of crucial importance would still be left in foresty use. The distribution of protected areas between co-operatives is even more unequal than before. For instance, the Nellim herding group and Muddusjärvi co-operative would be left completely without protected areas. The logging quota should be adequately reduced and the reduction must be distributed between the co-operatives so that there will be enough winter grazing areas for everyone, says the chairman of Muddusjärvi co-operative, mr. Pentti Valle.

The way how Metsähallitus plans and carries out the loggings has become even worse during the NRP process. Since the summer of 2005, Metsähallitus has not negotiated with reindeer herders at all about logging plans. Now Metsähallitus has again marked logging plans in the important grazing forests.

The joint working group of Inari reindeer herding co-operatives appeals once again to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to start the negotiations about the forest dispute.

For more information, please contact

Jouni Lukkari, chairman, Hammastunturi reindeer herding co-operative, p. 0400-151712
Pentti Valle, poroisäntä, Muddusjärvi reindeer herding co-operative, p. 040-74822653
Taneli Magga, poroisäntä, Muotkatunturi reindeer herding co-operative, p. 0400-365411
Petri Hänninen, poroisäntä, Paatsjoki reindeer herding co-operative p. 0400-199798

Outi Jääskö, member of the working group, tel. + 358-40-8446219

Information on reindeer herding and forest dispute in Inari: http://www.inarinpaliskunnat.org/index_en.html

Metsähallitus plans to restart logging in disputed areas

Forestry enterprise Metsahallitus is preparing to restart logging in the disputed old-growth forests in Inari. Logging sites and roadline-plans have been marked in reindeer grazing forests in Hammastunturi and Paatsjoki reindeer herding co-operative´s areas. Metsahallitus has not negotiated with the reindeer herders about the loggings. There are hundreds of occurrences of red-listed species in the planned logging sites.

]]> 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.

Saami Council releases video-reportage

The Saami Council presents a video reportage about logging in reindeer forests in Inari. The Last Yoik in Saami Forests?- report will be presented in connection on the fifth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues held in New York from 15 to 26 May.

]]> The Last Yoik in Saami Forests?- reportage (Yoik is a traditional Saami song) has been produced by Signs of Life- media cooperative in 2005-2006. The video-reportage documents the forest dsipute - the logging by Finnish state in traditional Saami reindeer herding areas. The reportage follows struggle and events in Inari, but also seeks the reasons behind the conflict.

The final version for distribution for tv-channels, cinemas and filmfestivals is going to be released in June 2006. That version will be distributed also as DVD. You can make your order by sending a request to elonmerkki[at]kulma.net with title: Saami forests dvd

For more information, please see Elonmerkki - Signs of Life and Saami Council

Finnish forest industry being supplied with conflict timber again

Governmental forestry enterprise Metsähallitus is transporting logs from old-growth forests and reindeer forest areas to pulp and paper industry again. Wood logged from conflict areas has been transported to storage-areas, railway stations and loaded into trains destined for Metsa-Botnia pulp mill in Kemi.

]]> In the end of January 2006, Metsähallitus cleared snow from the roads leading to logged areas in Nellim, Haippakotavaara and Kessi. During February, several trucks have transported the logs to railway stations in Lapland and to a temporary storage area in Ivalo.

Railway terminals in Kolari and Rovaniemi are owned jointly by Metsähallitus, Metsäliitto and StoraEnso. These stations supply both Metsä-Botnia mills in Kemi and StoraEnso mills in Kemi.

StoraEnso claims that company is not since November 2005 being supplied from disputed areas.

Trains carrying wood from conflict areas have been labeled to Metsä-Botnia mill in Kemi.

Metsä-Botnia produces market pulp and pulp for paper mills of UPM and M-Real. Kemi is Botnias biggest market pulp mill. The share of export of the production is 35 %, and the main market areas are the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and France. The Kemi mill is specialised in the production of pulp suited for tissue paper and specialty paper manufacture.

Metsä-Botnia claims to be committed to environmental and social responsibility. Now Metsä-Botnia is buying wood that has been logged from the last old-growth forests in Finland, violating the human rights of the indigenous Sami people.

"Skábma" in Inari

It's the darkest time of the year - "skábma" in Sámi language. Since Christmas week, however, it has been getting more light up in Inari, even though this week has been record cold. Since the UN Human Rights commission forbade logging in Nellim, the state owned forestry enterprise Metsähallitus has started and expanded logging in the other threatened reindeer forests in the municipality.

]]> The timber that Metsähallitus is not delivering to anyone at the moment is laying piled in the forest. Some of the locals went to visit the piles in December, to see that they haven't been touched. They took some photos that became a gallery in our Finnish language weblog. Everyone knows that the timber has been sold to someone, because it seems senseless for an enterprise to log for fun. The timber needs to be delivered before spring, before the forest roads become too soft for big machines to drive.

The Finnish government and different forestry interest groups have continued to belittle the dispute in Upper Lapland, claiming that all the problems should be solved locally. However, after years and years of arguing it should be clear to all the parts - including the prime minister who visited Inari in December - that there is no chance anything can be solved locally, unless Metsähallitus starts to treat reindeer herders as an equal partner in negotiations. Again in December some new loggings were started without notifying the reindeer herders of the area.

Photographer: Eini Kosonen

Protest at Stora Enso mill in the Netherlands

Greenpeace activists from four different European countries protested today at the Stora Enso mill in Wapenweld in the Netherlands. The protest was aimed at the unsustainable way the company acquires timber from Upper Lapland in Finland. The activists painted the words "forest crime" on the factory wall, on top of the company logo. Even though timber deliveries to Stora Enso have for the time being been stopped, the company has not been willing to take a decision not to buy timber from the disputed areas. The Netherlands together with Germany, Great Britain and Italy is one of the most important clients of Finnish paper industry.

]]> - As the biggest client for timber logged in Upper Lapland Stora Enso cannot hide behind Metsähallitus and the Finnish government, but they have to take an active role in promoting new negotiations between Metsähallitus, reindeer herders and saami Council, says Matti Liimtainen, Greenpeace forest campaigner. Even though logging in the village of Nellim stopped two weeks ago the operations continue in other parts of the municipality of Inari, and new loggings in reindeer forests were started this week.

Yesterday the Finnish prime minister and candidate in next year's presidential election, Mr Matti Vanhanen was asked questions on regional radio about the forest dispute during an election rally in Inari. Even though both the Saami Council and the Saami reindeer herding co-operatives have been in contact with Mr Vanhanen he seemed not to understand the seriousness of the situation. He referred to the forest dispute as "a disagreement by only one little part of one cooperative," and he also had a suggestion for the solution: "...we have to find a way to create an atmosphere where such criticism would not be abused internationally..."

Photographer: Koen Verheijden

Update from Lapland

On Monday, 14th November, the UN Human Rights Committee forbade the continuing logging in Nellim, Inari. The decision was delivered to the government of Finland and is temporary. The decision was taken in order to be able to secure a fair trial for the three reindeer herders who sued Metsähallitus and who were demanded a guarantee sum of over one million euros for the termination of logging in their grazing forests. The Finnish government has half a year to answer the committee on alleged human rights violations.

]]> Metsähallitus finished the logging operations in Nellim two days later, but has since then continued logging in reindeer forests in other parts of Inari. The forestry enterprise announced in the regional radio of Lapland that they will log less in "the next couple of years". Metsähallitus has however marked new logging projects in areas that are being demanded to be protected by reindeer herders and environmental organizations. In the negotiations terminated in June Metsähallitus promised to negotiate with reindeer herding co-operatives on any loggings in their areas. Since June several loggings have been started but the co-operatives haven't been informed. The latest area to be logged is Haippakotavaara in Hammastunturi co-operative.

See more photos

Response to actions

The actions taking place this week created a variety of different kind of response. Both the Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture and Metsähallitus announced that they are not breaking any laws and that they continue negotiations with reindeer herders about planned loggings. However on 8th November a representative of the Ministry, Mr Aarne Reunala, admitted in a radio interview that their negotiations are "not really true" and that the negotiations terminated in June have not been continued. "It's rather discussion but not negotiation, one might say", Mr Reunala said. Perhaps it's righteous to say that the Ministry has somewhat stretched the truth in its press release?

]]> On Tuesday 8th November Greenpeace arranged a press conference together with Sámi reindeer herders and the Sámi Council. Dr. Martin Scheinin, Professor of Constitutional and International Law at Åbo Akademi University stated that loggings by the state owned forestry enterprise Metsähallitus do violate human rights.
- The UN human rights committee has stated that Finland violates the The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights from 1966 by allowing logging in areas that are important grazing forests for Sámi reindeer herders, said Dr Scheinin.

The three reindeer herders that decided to sue Metsähallitus for logging in their grazing forests have been issued a guarantee sum of 1 050 000 euros to stop the logging. The sum equals - according to Metsähallitus - roughly the economical loss a long time trial would cost the enterprise. Before the sum is paid the logging will continue as normal - despite a court order to stop the logging. The company started logging in the area of Nellim in October, and has moved its operations even to the inside of the fence where the herders gather their reindeer every autumn before roundup. It is interesting to know that in Finland only wealthy people can afford a fair trial against a state owned company!

Paper ship stopped in Lübeck

Antares, the freight ship carrying fine paper originating from old growth reindeer forests in Northern Finland, was stopped from entering Lübeck harbour early this morning. Greenpeace activists from several different European countries tried to stop the ship already on Monday when it was loading cargo in Kemi, Finland. Upon its arrival to Germany more activists blocked the entrance way to Lübeck harbour, forcing the ship to turn back to sea. Activists are protesting against the unsustainable way of acquiring timber by the cargo holder, paper and pulp giant Stora Enso.

]]>

Action for ancient forests in Kemi harbour

Early on Monday morning six Greenpeace inflatables together with swimmers and climbers surrounded a freight ship carrying paper from Stora Enso's mill in Kemi. The ship was scheduled to leave Veitsiluoto harbour for Germany, but due to the activists' resistance the ship was delayed until the evening. The police joint forces with the coast guard, customs and fire brigade to bring down the climbers and to arrest all boat crews, thereby allowing export of paper originating from the last remaining ancient forests in Europe.

Stora Enso was against buying timber from Sámi reindeer forests last spring when the company was contacted by Greenpeace. After the the state owned forestry enterprise Metsähallitus terminated negotiations with reindeer herders in June Stora Enso has however continued buying timber originating from the disputed area.

Images

]]> Press release

Greenpeace blocks export of forest crimes

Helsinki 7 November 2005 -- Greenpeace activists (1) blocked Finnlines freight ship to prevent it loading pulp and paper in the Finnish port of Kemi today, and to prevent paper, linked to the destruction of one of Europes last ancient forests, being exported to make magazines.

The worlds largest paper company, Stora Enso, buys logs from areas of ancient forest in northern Lapland, which the Finnish Government has started logging themselves (2) in defiance of the countrys own
conservation laws, set up to protect endangered species from the threat of extinction (3).

Its a crime that thousand year old ancient forests end up as glossy magazines on coffee tables across Europe, said Matti Liimatainen, Greenpeace Nordic forest campaigner, speaking from Kemi. Stora Enso should stop buying destruction and the Finnish Government stop logging immediately.

Finlands ancient forest is also crucial for the indigenous Sámi reindeer herders of northern Lapland who need the forests to remain intact to maintain their traditional livelihood of free grazing reindeer herding. Sámi cooperatives have repeatedly asked Stora Enso and the Finnish Government to stop logging. At the end of October 2005, a local court ordered the Government to do so in one of the reindeer forest areas but it ignored the order and said it would not consider ending logging in the area unless the Sámi reindeer herders pay compensation.

This forest is a refuge for endangered species. Both they and the Sámi livelihoods are protected by law in Finland, continued Liimatainen. Rather than defy its own laws, the Finnish Government should respect its people and its heritage and protect this ancient forest, not decimate it to make cheap, throw away products, said Liimatainen.

Life on Earth depends on ancient forests. They regulate our weather, filter air, clean our water and stabilize our climate. Europe has decimated most of its ancient forests and, worldwide, only 20% survive. Two thirds of all species on land live in these forests but, at current rates of destruction, they will be gone within decades.

Greenpeace is demanding governments to save ancient forests by setting up international laws to ban the trade in destructively or illegally logged wood and establishing large areas of protected forests.

Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organization, which uses non-violent, creative communication tools to put the spotlight on global environmental problems and to drive towards solutions essential for a green and peaceful future.

For further information please contact:

Matti Liimatainen, forest campaigner, Greenpeace, +358 400 346 329

Mikael Sjövall, press officer, Greenpeace, +358 50 3696 202

Images of todays action and of the forest are available on request.

Photos: John Novis on (M) +31 6 5381 9121

Video: Hester van Meurs on (M) +31 6 2900 1135

Notes to Editors:

1) The activists are from: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, France and Switzerland

2) The State-owned logging company Metsähallitus actively logging in 3 areas of ancient forests of northern Lapland and planning to log in more areas in the near future. The Finnish State owns around a quarter of shares in Stora Enso and wholly owns Metsähallitus. Stora Enso is the single largest customer of Metsähallitus

3) Endangered species are protected by the Finnish Nature Conservation Act. Antrodia crassa is a rare, endangered fungi that cannot survive in heavily logged areas. It grew in a forest area in Kessi, which was logged by Metsahallitus in early October. The other fungi species under strict protection (Skeletocutis jelicii) is located in a planned logging site, where current logging is only 20 metres away. Another habitat of this species was being logged in late August.