More forests in Finland are being sold and bequeathed for conservation — YLE News

In Finland, Seppo Karhula and his brother sold the more than six-hectare Aukustinmetsä forest to the Luonnonperintösäätiö conservation foundation in order to preserve it in its natural state. The plot is located in Lohtaja near the city of Kokkola, on the coast of land uplift.

As YLE News reports, Karhula wanted the coastal forest to remain the same for future generations. Aukustinmetsä formed after the sea receded, and the forest boundary has moved approximately 50 metres towards the sea over recent decades. The oldest trees in the forest are more than 150 years old.

Transfer of forests to new owners

In the coming years, Finland may see the largest transfer of forest assets to new owners in the country’s history. According to statistics from the Finnish Forest Centre, the average age of private forest owners is 61, while approximately one-fifth of them are over 75. There are around 95,000 forest owners in the 75–84 age group.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

The Pellervo research centre estimated that by 2035, around one-third of private owners will transfer their forests to new owners or leave them as inheritances. Minnamari Tuovinen, project manager at the Forest Centre, urged families to discuss in advance what will happen to forest plots after a change of ownership.

Forests for conservation

Timo Huhtamäki, executive director of Luonnonperintösäätiö, said that an increasing number of forests are being offered for conservation by families of heirs, municipalities and parishes. According to him, the number of testamentary donations for forest conservation is also growing.

In 2025, the foundation purchased forests worth approximately €9 million, with more than half of the funding coming from companies. Luonnonperintösäätiö already protects nearly 8,000 hectares of forest across 300 sites throughout Finland and plans to reach 10,000 hectares within two years.