State of Finland's Forests 2007 - Based on the Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management
maa- ja metsätalousministeriö
12.07.2007
Julkaisusarja:
Publications of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 7a/2007This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-453-347-8Tiivistelmä
Criteria and indicators have become an established instrument for assessing and monitoring sustainable forest management. Ever since the Second Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE) in Helsinki in 1993, Finland has made an active contribution to the development of the criteria and indicators.
The first set of Pan-European Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management was produced in 1993–1995 under the leadership of Finland and Portugal. Based on the pan-European criteria, the first set of national indicators was developed for Finnish conditions in 1996. The revised set of national criteria and indicators was completed in 2000. Both sets have also been used to describe the state of forests and forestry in Finland at the time. The indicators have been used in Finland particularly in the presentation of and reporting on forestry as well as in the monitoring and preparation of the National Forest Programme and the Regional Forest Programmes. The indicators have also been used to steer practical silviculture and forest certification.
The present, third set of indicators was developed by taking into account earlier national experiences and the Pan-European indicators adopted at the MCPFE 2003 in Vienna and revised since then. International debates on the evaluation of sustainable forest management have also contributed to the revision process. The criteria and indicators have been revised in the same spirit of open co-operation as the National Forest Programme. Appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the group of experts representing key actors and interest groups in forestry has met 14 times and has reached an agreement on the indicators to be used in Finland and on the presentation of the results obtained thereby. The collation of data and the production of texts concerning the indicators were done at the Finnish Forest Research Institute, which, being in charge of compiling forest statistics in Finland, has the necessary resources for the task. The finished report is a presentation of the status of forests in Finland approved unanimously by the group of experts.
The revised set of Finnish indicators emphasises long-term development series and the clarity of definitions and interpretations. Because the indicators are also used for presentation of and reporting on Finnish forests and forestry internationally, the present report also includes a short description of the development and diversity of Finnish forests and forest management and their significance to Finnish society. I wish to thank warmly the members of the expert group and others who have participated in the project for a valuable job well done.
The first set of Pan-European Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management was produced in 1993–1995 under the leadership of Finland and Portugal. Based on the pan-European criteria, the first set of national indicators was developed for Finnish conditions in 1996. The revised set of national criteria and indicators was completed in 2000. Both sets have also been used to describe the state of forests and forestry in Finland at the time. The indicators have been used in Finland particularly in the presentation of and reporting on forestry as well as in the monitoring and preparation of the National Forest Programme and the Regional Forest Programmes. The indicators have also been used to steer practical silviculture and forest certification.
The present, third set of indicators was developed by taking into account earlier national experiences and the Pan-European indicators adopted at the MCPFE 2003 in Vienna and revised since then. International debates on the evaluation of sustainable forest management have also contributed to the revision process. The criteria and indicators have been revised in the same spirit of open co-operation as the National Forest Programme. Appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the group of experts representing key actors and interest groups in forestry has met 14 times and has reached an agreement on the indicators to be used in Finland and on the presentation of the results obtained thereby. The collation of data and the production of texts concerning the indicators were done at the Finnish Forest Research Institute, which, being in charge of compiling forest statistics in Finland, has the necessary resources for the task. The finished report is a presentation of the status of forests in Finland approved unanimously by the group of experts.
The revised set of Finnish indicators emphasises long-term development series and the clarity of definitions and interpretations. Because the indicators are also used for presentation of and reporting on Finnish forests and forestry internationally, the present report also includes a short description of the development and diversity of Finnish forests and forest management and their significance to Finnish society. I wish to thank warmly the members of the expert group and others who have participated in the project for a valuable job well done.