A Sociologist’s Look at Public
Forestry in Finland
CONSIDERATIONS FOR
“TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER”
William A. Fleischman, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology Anthropology
University of Minnesota Duluth
28 April 2001
Who Am I

Background

U W La Crosse - B.S.


Iowa State M.S. & Ph.D


Biology & Sociology
Sociology
Experience



Natural Resources Research
U.S.F.S
Finnish Forest And Park Service
What’s Up?


The “Problem”
Finland – Background






Physical Features
Social & Organizational Aspects
Legislation & Policy
Forest Resource Management
Summary
Conclusions
Problem in Minnesota
The Puzzle

Forest Management in Minnesota




Multiple Jurisdictions/Ownership
Multiple Stakeholders
Multiple Structures
Specific Issue

DNR – a “new direction”?
The DNR Direction
“We went out and saw the forest and it was
absolutely beautiful.” (Garber – DNT – 18 April 2001)
“To create a forest that is sustainable forever”.
“We’re smart enough to know you can’t take
Finland and overlay it over Minnesota”. (Garber GRH-R – Budgeteer News – 14 January 2001)
TECHNOLOGY

A system based on the application of
knowledge, manifested in physical objects
and organizational forms, for the attainment
of specific goals (Volti – Society and Technological Change 3 Ed, 1995 St. Martins
rd
Press – p.6)

Always “imbedded” in culture and designed
with a particular problem setting in mind
Area = 130,558 sq miles
745 Miles long
(Duluth to Louisville, KY)
372 Miles wide
(Duluth to Sault St. Marie
Population = 5,200,000
Metro Area = 1,010,000

TOTAL AREA



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69 % Forest
8% Farm
13% Other
10% Water


188,000 Lakes
81,000 Islands in the Archipelago
Use of land
Forestry land
230,030 square km
68%
Other areas
(open wetlands
and other open
land)
37,514 square km
11.2%
Water areas
33,551 square km
9.9%
Built area
9,560 square km
2.8%
Agricultural land
27,490 square km
8.1%
Source: Statistics Finland
Forest land ownership in Finland
Others 4.9%
Private 61.8%
Companies 8.8%
State 24.5%
Source: Finnish Forest Research Institute 2000
Distribution of privately owned
forest land in 1999
Enterprisers
6%
Other
5%
Wage-earners
32%
Big town
(>20,000 inhabitants)
8%
Countryside
61%
Small town
13%
Pensioners
38 %
Village /
community
centre
18%
Farmers
19%
by owner group
by owner’s domicile
Source: Finnish Forest Research Institute 2000
Forest balance 1923-1998
mill. cubic metres
100
80
60
40
20
1923
30
40
total drain
50
60
70
80
90
98
growth
Source: Finnish Forest Research Institute 2000
The administrative sector of the
Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry promotes
the sustainable and diversified use of renewable
natural resources and developing the economic
and leisure-time activities of the countryside, as
well as secures the quality of foodstuffs and the
health of animals and plants.
The Department of Forestry
 Manages and supervises the enforcement of laws relating to forests
and forestry, and prepares new regulations
 Develops Finland’s forest policy in order to promote sustainable
forest management and the activities of the forest sector as a whole
 Guides and supervises forest management and improvement carried
out through state funding, as well as forest planning and extension
 Promotes the use of wood
 Directs forest research and the management of state forests
 Takes active part in international forest policy
Forest & Park Service



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21,498,149 Acres
7,413,154 Acres Water
4,447 Acres Set-aside Statutory
3,459 Acres Set-aside Internal


7,907,365 Acres
Commercial Forest
5,930,523 Acres Water
& Waterways
Finnish Forest Industry (FPS)


1,785,714 cords of solid
wood
10% of the Annual
Total for the Country

50% Thinning and 50%
Intermediate
Forest and Park
Service is Responsible
for:
Timber Production
Recreation
Nature Preservation
Forest Related Policy

Legislation

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Cultural Aspects

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Includes “Everyman’s Rights”
Constitutional Amendment


1734 to Present
Gives every citizen the responsibility for
preserving biodiversity
International Participant
Forest Legislation

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1734 – Regulations on the utilization of forests in
the Building Code
1886 – First Forest Act – Ban on the Destruction of
Forest Land
1928 – Private Forest Act – Forestry organizations
to supervise the observance of the act



1967 - Private Forest Act – Completely
revised
1994 – FPS Act – Reorganized the FPS
1996 – Act on the Financing of Sustainable
Forestry – Replaces Forest Improvement act
– recognizes sustainable development and
nature-emulating forestry
 1996 - The Act on Forestry Centres and the
Forest Development Tapio
 1997 – Forest Act - Replaced Private Forest
Act – Defines seven key biotopes under
conservation
 1997 – Nature Conservation Act – Promoting
timber production and biodiversity in Finnish
forests

1998 Forest Management Association Act
Purpose is to guarantee silvicultural instruction and cooperation between forest owners
 Approval of Finnish Forest Certification System
(authentication of sustainable management of forests)

1999 National Forest Programme 2010
Recognizes the economic, ecological, social and cultural
aspects of the sustainable utilization of the forests
NFP 2010 MAIN FEATURES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Forest industry investments +EUR 1.0-1.3 bill/year
Wood products value added +100%
Roundwood harvesting +5-10 mill. m3/year
Energy wood +5 mill. m3/year
Forestry investments +EUR 80 mill./year
Profitability of forestry increases
Conservation of forests in southern Finland
Multiple-use and recreation
Forum for Innovation
Active international forest policy
NFP 2010 EFFECTS
Economic
effects
• Balance of payments +EUR 0.8-1.5 bill.
• Export earnings +EUR 0.8-1.5 bill/year
• Stumpage earnings +EUR 120-250 bill./year
Social • Employment forest sector +10 000-15000
effects • Employment total +35 000 - 45 000
• Rural development
• Multiple-use
Environmental
effects
•
•
•
•
Preliminary estimate: no major harm
Environmental Impact Assessment
Reducing the load on water systems
Summer harvesting work group
MANAGING TIMBER

20 Indigenous Species

3 Primary Commercial Species

“Old Growth”
Scots Pine
Pinus silvestris
Spruce
Picea abies
Birch
Betula pendula
Betula pubescens
Old Growth
Old Growth Pine
Eastern Forest
Lapland Forest
MANAGING WILDLIFE

Wildlife

Commercial/Cultural


(primary)
Reindeer
Recreational


Bear, Moose, White Tailed Deer, Beaver
Capercalllie
MANAGING CULTURAL ASPECTS


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Sami Culture - native peoples
Recreation – fishing, hunting, hiking, skiing,
gathering, lake cabins, etc.
Spiritual values – deep history – poets, “spirits”,
Kalevala
Sami Culture
Indigenous Culture
Stream and Lake Fishing
MOOSE HUNTING
Gathering
Lake Cabins
Saunas
Cultural ties
to
the land
and forest
Spiritual Values
MANAGING WATERS

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PEATLANDS
WETLANDS
RIVERS
LAKES AND SEA SHORES
Peat Lands
Wetlands
Rivers
Lakes and Sea Shores
How Is It Managed?

Material Technology

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Mechanical Harvesting
Manual Thinning & Felling
Natural Regeneration/Plantings
Soil Disturbance/Fertilization
Non-material Technology
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Participatory Planning
Assortment System
Public/Private Land Management
Forwarder
Harvester
Manual
Assortment System
Natural Regeneration
Tree Nursery
How did they do it?
February - December 1998
EXPERT
STATEMENTS
38
WORK
GROUPS
members 60
meetings 84
WRITTEN
STATEMENTS
140
REGIONAL
FOREST PROGRAMMES
13
WEB PAGES
visitors
6800
ARTICLES,
NEWS
+100
PUBLIC
FORUMS
number 59
pers. 2900
Summary
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Forest Management Legislation covers all lands
Public and Private
Sustainability of ecosystem and social system
40% of Finnish economy driven by Forest Industry
Management decisions based on profit,
sustainability, biodiversity, and certification of
timber
Strong international attention given to forest
management practices
Conclusions


The “Finnish Approach” to Forest Resource
Management is “Systemically Integrated”
Adoption of selected material and nonmaterial technology may produce
“unanticipated consequences” for the
“receiving system” – some of which may be
“undesirable”
Special Thanks to



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Aarne Reunala – Director General – Forestry
Department – Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Kari Pelkonen – Director, Eastern Region Finnish
Forest and Park Service
Pauli Wallenius – Finnish Forest and Park Service
A host of others in Finland from whom I have
learned much
Thanks for the opportunity to
share some of my thoughts with you