The Finnish Government adopted a new National Forest Programme 2015 on March 27, 2008. The objective of the programme is the promotion of a sustainable forest exploitation and management. The programme also defines the core issues of Finnish forest policy for coming years.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry led the elaboration of the programme with participation of more than twenty interest groups. Among them were representatives of the forest industry, of forest owners and of groups promoting forest preservation and the use of forests for recreational purposes.
The national forestry programme 2015 has six focus areas:
1. Ensuring the competitiveness of forestry and forest industry
2. Improving climate change and energy–related benefits of forests
3. Promoting the biodiversity and the environmental values of forests
4. Fostering the use of forests for cultural and recreational purposes
5. Improving know-how and general approval of the forest sector
6. Promotion of sustainable forest management and exploitation in international forest policy
Targets have been established for each of these focus areas and the measures required for reaching them have been defined. Special emphasis is put on developing new forest and wood based products and services, on increasing the exploitation of domestic wood and forest based energy sources, as well as on securing forest biodiversity. |