Finnish government proceeds with logging in forests crucial for reindeer herding - livelihood of the indigenous Sámi people

Reindeer herding, practised by both the indigenous Sámi people and non-Sámi Finnish reindeer herders, is in most parts of Northern Finland theoretically protected by the Finnish legislation against other land uses. In the area especially reserved for reindeer herding, forestry and other land use should not, according to the law, significantly hinder this traditional livelihood.

The Sámi people's rights to practise their culture and traditional livelihood is also protected through the Finnish Constitution and a number of international agreements. Reindeer herding is the basis of the Sámi culture.

However, in reality the forestry practised by Finnish governmental forestry enterprise Metsähallitus is steadily diminishing and damaging the reindeer grazing forests by logging, soil cultivation and road construction. Logging detoriarates the forests reindeer depend for their food especially in the wintertime. Logging residual prevents reindeer from accessing ground lichen, and the destruction of of old-growth forests means the destruction of tree hanging arboreal lichen. These two lichen types are crucial for the survival of reindeer especially in the late winter.

Greenpeace, FANC and majority of the reindeer herding co-operatives in the Sami area have jointly mapped the important reindeer grazing forests. Reindeer herders and environmental NGOs demand that the mapped areas must be left outside of harmful industrial logging. The needs of reindeer herders and wishes of the organisations are to a large extent ignored. Finnish government proceeds with destructive logging of several of the crucial winter pasture areas.

The driving force behind the logging of these economically, culturally and ecologically significant forests is Finnish pulp and paper industry. Stora Enso is the biggest buyer of wood logged by Metsähallitus. Also companies UPM and M-Real are involved in the destruction of reindeer herding forests via their pulp and cardboard mills.

Finnish state logging in reindeer grazing forests and old-growth forests in 2003-2005 in Inari, North Finland, Sámi area

List of mapped reindeer grazing forests where governmental forestry enterprise Metsähallitus plans logging in 2004 - 2005. Grazing forests are mapped by Greenpeace, Finnish Association for Nature Conservation FANC and reindeer herding co-operatives of Inari.

90% of forests in mapped areas are old-growth forests. Rest of the areas are other forests siginificant for the reindeer herding livelihood: selectively logged earlier, but recovered as reindeer pastures or having importance as such.

75% of the wood logged by Metsähallitus in Sámi area is sold for pulp and paper production.

StoraEnso buys most of the wood originating from destruction of Sámi reindeer grazing forests.

Autumn 2005: The Saami Council asks StoraEnso to stop buying wood from reindeer grazing forests

>>> Read more at www.saamicouncil.net : press release 24 August, 2005 and briefing paper

>>> Read the Saami Council letter to StoraEnso 30 August, 2005 (PDF-document)
>>> Read the Saami Council 2nd letter to StoraEnso 16 September (PDF-document)

1. Paadarskaidi Muotkatunturi reindeer herding co-operative. Village of Angeli. UN Human Rights Committee case pending. Logging going on October 2005 in habitats of internationally recognized threatened species [photos on ongoing logging October 2005] [photos on logging in October 2004] [photos on logging in December 2004]
17. Passimoselkä - Isonpaanteenvaara Hammastunturi reindeer herding co-operative Logging in September 2004
19. Haippakotavaara Hammastunturi reindeer herding co-operative Logging going on in 15 August 2005 [photos on logging in August 2005]
22. Kirakka - Paksupetäjäkuru Hammastunturi reindeer herding co-operative
33. Kessi wilderness forests Paatsjoki reindeer herding co-operative Logging going on in October 2005 [photos on logging plan 2004-2005] [photos on logging operations in 2003]
38. Kippisjärvi Nellim reindeer herding co-operative
34. Keskinen talvilaidunalue Nellim reindeer herding co-operative Logging in August 2004. New logging starting in September 2004. [photos on logging in August 2004] [photos on logging in March 2004 and more info]
23. Rahajärvi Hammastunturi reindeer herding co-operative

Click the names below to see photos from logging sites in Inari between August - November 2003:

>>> Kantojärvi, Kessi
>>> Otsamo
>>> Juoksemavaara
>>> Koddohjärvi
>>> Livikköjärvi

For more information on the relation between reindeer herding livelihood and PEFC- certified forestry in Finland, read the reports:

-"Lapland: State of Conflict - How the Finnish government is abusing the forest rights of Sámi reindeer herders", March 2005 (PDF)

-"Pulp Friction: How StoraEnso is Pulping Sámi Reindeer Forests", March 2005 (PDF)

and see >>> Anything Goes -report, Conflicts between forestry and reindeer herding -section

Greenpeace- campaign for forests in Inari: http://weblog.greenpeace.org/forestrescue

Information from Inari Reindeer herding co-operatives is available at http://www.inarinpaliskunnat.org/