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UPM PARTICIPATED IN FOREST LIFE RESTORATION PROJECT AWARDED BY EUROPEAN UNION
Wednesday 24. June 2009 - The European Union has awarded the Forest Life project "Restoration of Boreal Forests and Forest-covered Mires". This Finnish project was coordinated by Metsähallitus Natural Heritage Services, and the project steering group included UPM, WWF, University of Joensuu and the Finnish Defence Forces.
The Forest Life project partners restored 7,000 hectares of forests in Natura 2000 conservation areas – forests and mires that had previously been in commercial use. In addition, forested esker habitats were opened and white-backed woodpeckers habitats were managed. The goal was to increase the conservation value of these areas. The restoration measures were carried out in 33 areas around Finland. The project partners also communicated about forest restoration and its benefits. The budget for the five year project was EUR 3.7 million, half of which was funded by the EU.
UPM carried out forest and mire restoration together with Metsähallitus in the Repovesi National Park, in Kouvola, Finland, where UPM’s lumberjacks restored mires and carried out controlled restoration burning to benefit fire dependent species. They also managed coniferous stands to increase broad-leaved trees and to diversify forest structure. UPM participated in the Forest Life project as part of the national METSO forest conservation project in Finland.
“The project was also a part of UPMs own biodiversity programme, based on international goals and action plans in different countries. One of the goals is to maintain and improve conservation values in protection areas, and this succeeded well in the Forest Life project. UPMs lumberjacks also experienced something totally new through participating in this project,” says Timo Lehesvirta, Environment Manager, UPM Forest, North Europe.
“It was a pleasure working with UPM. The cooperation offered both us and UPM new angles to nature restoration practices,” states Rauli Perkiö, planner at Metsähallitus’ Southern Finland Nature Heritage Services. He thanks UPM’s lumberjacks’ professionalism and their ability to quickly undertake the goals and different measures of nature management practices.
European Commission and the EU member countries evaluated more than a hundred LIFE Nature projects from 2007-2008. Forest Life was ranked in the top five in the Best of the Best category. The project is awarded in Brussels today.