The Finnish government is destroying the largest unprotected ancient forests in Finland. Only 4.4 percent of Finnish forests are classified old-growth forests. Still a large part of the little that remains is in danger of being destroyed. In Finnish Lapland the state owned logging company Metsähallitus has started clearcut logging huge areas of old-growth forests in November despite the strong national support for protection and several international biodiversity declarations Finland has signed. Logging and road construction have already started or are being planned in at least six areas.

Finnish Lapland's forest wildernesses are some of the largest and most important remaining in Europe, and Finland and other European countries have zero credibility in demanding tropical rainforests are protected in developing countries even as they mop up the remainder of their ancient forest ecosystems and heritage. Once logged the values that make ancient forests unique are lost forever.

This highly damaging industrial clearcut logging will permanently destroy unique natural values such as reindeer herding and nature tourism. These forests provide vital carbon storage in an age of abrupt climate change, and provide other important ecosystem services such as water retention. As the forests are situated in relatively high altitude in northern taiga the regeneration of the forests is also in doubt. Shockingly, these logging activities do not appear economically viable or sustainable in the long-term

These unique ancient forests with up to 500 year old pine trees are being logged mainly for pulp and paper. The mills that use the ancient forests are Stora Enso pulp mill in Kemijärvi, Stora Enso paper mill in Veitsiluoto and Botnia pulp mill in Kemi. In an evil ecological crime, old growth forests which maintain the biosphere in an inhabitable condition are being processed into magazine papers, envelopes and copy paper.

Please ask for an immediate end to these outrageous ancient forest loggings. Let the Finnish government know that the Age of Ancient Forest Logging is over; and that all remaining old-growth and primary forests must be protected and assisted to expand and restore themselves. Global ecological sustainability, climate stabilization and biodiversity conservation are all dependent upon doing so.

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