Clear-cutting near Saimaa banned in Taipalsaari — YLE News
The municipality of Taipalsaari in Finland has introduced a ban on clear-cutting in a 30-metre strip along the shores of Lake Saimaa. The decision was made in the summer during an update of the land-use zoning plan, YLE News reports.
Forestry company Tornator opposed the restriction and appealed it in an administrative court. The company owns about one thousand hectares of land on the 14-kilometre-long Kyläniemi Peninsula, which is part of Taipalsaari's planning area and is located on Lake Saimaa.
Position of environmental organisations
Greenpeace and the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation supported the municipality's decision. Greenpeace forest representative Matti Liimatainen said that the 30-metre strip is a minor restriction given the scale of Tornator's clear-cutting, which the organisation considers among the largest in Finland.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Usually, a strip about 10 metres wide is recommended to be left uncut along shores. Environmental organisations want the 30-metre restriction to be applied in other parts of Finland as well and enshrined in law. Tapani Veistola, executive director of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, believes that even 50 metres is currently an insufficient width to preserve biodiversity and protect waters.
Concerns of forest owners
The South Karelia Forestry Association criticised the expansion of the protective strip to 30 metres. Its head, Juho Luumi, said this could have significant financial consequences for owners of small forest plots, so such restrictions should be assessed individually.
According to his estimate, on a 100-metre-long shoreline plot, lost income from logging could in the worst case reach nearly €10,000. Luumi called wide protective strips an example of restricting forest use through zoning without compensation, as forest owners would directly bear the financial consequences, he said.
