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The Finnish Government funds the METSO
programme to €40 million each year, which allows it to
deliver annual yields of about 5,000 hectares of perma-
nently protected areas, with temporary agreements
signed to protect 6,000 hectares a year. Biodiversity
values of key biotopes in commercially managed forests
are enhanced by ecological restoration of about 1,500
hectares each year. Authorities carry out site selection
based on ecological criteria, but another important
consideration is the proximity of potential sites to
the current network of protected areas. Impacts on
sustainable economic activities, recreation, tourism and
cultural values may also be considered.
The voluntary approach of METSO is highly
valued by forest owners, who appreciate the bottom-
up approach and the chance to retain their property
rights. METSO has succeeded because, in addition to
forest owners and authorities, a comprehensive group
of forestry stakeholders accepts and supports its imple-
mentation in practice. This collaborative effort between
different stakeholders – including nature conservation
organizations, companies and the Forest Owners’ Union
– provides political credibility and social sustainability
for the programme.
Encouraging voluntary forest conservation
Forestry is very important to the Finnish economy and few forested
areas are outside commercial use, particularly in southern Finland,
where the majority are privately owned. The METSO programme was
launched in 2005 to give incentive to private forest owners to take part
in conservation efforts.
Worldwide, forestry is responsible for 17 per cent of all green-
house gases, mainly as a result of deforestation. Forests also account
for roughly half the world’s biodiversity. Therefore, conservation
and sustainable management of forests are critical to address climate
change and safeguard the Earth’s biological diversity.
By 2020, METSO aims to halt the decline in forest species and
biotopes in order to create favourable trends in forest biodiver-
sity. To this end, it is offering a payment scheme for ecosystem
services. Compared to previous top-down efforts, METSO stands
out, since conservation measures under the programme are based
entirely on forest owners’ voluntary tendering. Private owners
may be compensated for conserving valuable forests permanently
or temporarily, for a period of 10-20 years. Additionally, natural
resource management and ecological restoration of habitats is
supported. The State compensates forest owners depending on
the measures used, for loss of income and the market price of the
land. If a forest owner signs a permanent conservation agreement,
compensation is tax free.
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The METSO programme is a public-private partnership that aims to secure forests and their ecosystem services in Southern Finland
Image: City of Hämeelinna