FINLAND’s submission of information and experiences on various elements of protected areas In response to CBD Notification 2017 -065
Compiled by Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland, Mervi Heinonen 17 October 2017
Introduction
Parks & Wildlife Finland (P&WF) is a part of the state owned enterprise Metsähallitus. P&WF has two units that are responsible for public duties. National Parks Finland manages all state owned protected areas (PAs) and works in cooperation with the central and regional environment administration as well as landowners, partly managing also protected areas on privately owned lands. Wildlife Services Finland is in charge of fishing and hunting issues as well as law enforcement and supervision on state owned areas, including in protected areas. P&WF is publicly financed, mostly by the government. Wildlife management is partly also financed by fishing and hunting fees.
In response to the CBD Notification 2017-065, the report provides information on Finland’s protected areas and their management 2014-2017, following the Fifth National Report that was submitted to the CBD Secreteriat in May 2014.
(i) Protected areas and other effective area -based conservation measures, taking into account the work of the Internat ional Union for Conservation of Nature and other appropriate expert bodies;
Finland’s national protected area network presently covers almost 16,000 sites and 4.6 million hectares (46,329 sq.km), equaling c. 12% of total land and water area of the country. More than 95% of the PA network area is state owned. The network backbone now consists of 40 national parks and almost 700 other statutory nature reserves of different types and sizes (see table). There are also 12 extensive wilderness reserves in Lapland. A very large number (>10,500) of private nature reserves complement the state PA network. Most private sites are small, only some 30 of these are over 1,000 ha in surface area.
Finland’s contribution to the European Union Natura 2000 network now covers over 1,800 sites and altogether 5.4 million hectares (53,653 sq.km with overlapping areas removed). The Baltic Sea marine protected area (MPA) network under the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea (Helsinki Commission HELCOM) consists of 33 sites and 49 sites have been designated under the Ramsar Convention. More than 85% of the Natura 2000 network overlaps with the national protected area network and almost entirely also with the regional/international designations. The Natura 2000 network now covers 14,4% of Finland’s land area (inland waters included) and 13,6% of marine area.
Information on all protected areas, both state and privately owned, is available in a national consolidated data system. Administrative procedures, planning and operational management-related site and feature information is incorporated into an integrated entity of GIS applications. This enables Finland’s central and regional government nature conservation authorities to work together efficiently, regardless of place. The protected areas are managed as a network at national, regional and local level. Integrated management planning and monitoring takes into account the values and objectives of all relevant (often overlapping) PA designations as well as other environmental obligations and development programmes.
Extending the national and international protected area network s 2014 -2017
• Implementing of National Nature Conservation Programmes has involved statutory enactment of over 200 new state nature reserves. In addition, three (3) new national parks have been established: Southern Konnevesi (2014), Teijo (2015) and Hossa (in 2017, to celebrate the centennial of Finland’s independence). • Nearly 150 forest protection sites, totaling over 10,000 ha, have been designated on state lands as part of the METSO Forest Protection Programme in Southern Finland (2014-2025). • Nearly 100 mire protection sites, totaling over 20,000 ha, have been designated on state lands as part of the Supplementary Mire Protection Programme that was completed in 2015. • Over 100 private nature reserves have been established, with total added area of some 40,000 ha. Part of these have been compensated to landowners through the METSO Programme. • Within the Natura 2000 network, 1635 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) were statutorily established in 2014 (these were formerly designated as SCI sites). In addition, there are 456 Special Protection Areas (SPA), 320 of which are overlapping with SAC sites. Proposals for a few new Natura 2000 sites were made in 2016, and also extensions to marine areas of several existing sites. • Finland has designated 11 new sites in the HELCOM MPA network in 2015. The network now covers 12% of territorial waters (8% when the EEZ is considered). In 2016, HELCOM assessed the ecological coherence of the MPA network, and followed up on other commitments made through HELCOM Recommendation 35/1. Analysis of representativeness, replication, adequacy and connectivity showed that progress has been made, but additional area designation - especially outside territorial waters - and work on management planning and management measures are still needed. See: http://www.helcom.fi/helcom-at-work/publications/baltic-sea-environment-proceedings • 11 new Ramsar wetland sites has been proposed, but they have not yet been submitted for designation. • Feasibility studies for several UNESCO GeoPark designations are going on.
Enhancing information management on national protected areas
• Major enhancement of national integrated geographic information systems (GIS) for protected area sites, habitats and species has been on-going 2014-2017. This development work, led by P&WF, has been made possible through an ear-marked government financial allowance. • The present information system entity includes all mainland protected areas in Finland, both on state and privately owned lands and waters. The same system has been used by all government nature conservation authorities since 2014/2015. The provincial government of the autonomous Åland Islands is responsible for its own protected areas. • Protected area data quantity and quality, especially for privately owned sites, has been greatly enhanced within the common information system.
Assigning IUCN protected area categories to national sites
• In 2014, all statutory protected areas on state lands were assigned IUCN categories, covering some 550 protected areas and over 80% of the total network surface area. • Another 80 state nature reserves later enacted (in 2017) and all present 10,500 private nature reserves will be assigned IUCN protected area categories by the end of the year 2017. • The assignment principles and procedure are described in the 2013 national working group report on category application. See http://www.metsa.fi/web/en/internationalclassifications . • Updates will be delivered to international protected area databases (CDDA/WDPA) in spring 2018.
Updating information on regional and international protected sites
• Comprehensive updating of site-specific information has been done for o Natura 2000 sites (2015), o HELCOM Marine protected areas (2015) and o Ramsar wetland sites (2017) • To ensure data updates, each individual site has been assigned a responsible body (regional units of P&WF or the environmental administration).
Updating the Principles of Protected Area M anagement in Finland
• An newest update of “The Principles of Protected Area Management in Finland – Guidelines on the aims, functions and management of state-owned protected areas” was approved in 2014. The guidelines were first approved by Metsähallitus in 1992 and are updated regularly. These recommendations pertain to all protected area types governed by P&WF, and cover all aspects of PA management and use. • These principles are partly determined directly by national legislation and partly by P&WF as the land owner and site manager. Many of the principles also reflect international, national and regional best practice that has been developed, tested and agreed over time. • In 2016, an edited English-language version of the Guidelines was published. See the publication: https://julkaisut.metsa.fi/julkaisut/show/2005
Management planning and a ssessing site condition of Natura 2000
• Regional master plans for Natura 2000 site management planning and assessment needs have been completed in 2016. Prioritized planning and assessment is programmed systematically for the entire Natura 2000 network for years 2017 to 2020. • Natura 2000 integrated management planning has been developed into a data based standardized methodology and format in the past 5 years. Planning is now integrated into the PA information system. o These management plans take into account all PA designations (national and international) and other values within the planning area and also consider pressures coming from outside. o Management planning of small Natura 2000 sites is often grouped into larger geographic entities, which allows for example, reconciliation of hunting and other issues with nature conservation in protected areas through wider participatory processes. o Statutory management plans for most national parks and wilderness reserves are finished and remaining obligatory plans and updates will be completed by 2020. • Natura 2000 site condition (NATA) assessment is a standardized data-based tool to manage and monitor site values and assess needs and keep track of conservation and other measures on the sites. Also this assessment is now integrated into the PA information system. o On sites that do not require proper management plans (statutorily or otherwise), these assessments are a sufficient way to document conservation objectives and the need and implementation of conservation measures. o NATA assessments will cover all Natura 2000 sites by 2020. By the end of 2017, they already cover over 70% of sites (c. 1,800) and 85% of network surface area.
Ensuring financial sustainability of protected area administration and management
• Because the PA network in Finland is administered and managed in a network-based manner, allocation of government resources has been cost-efficient. Despite significant cuts in public government spending, allocations for PA management have remained fairly stable in recent years. • However, a recent P&WF study (2017) points to a growing gap in maintenance financing, especially in relation to visitor facilities and built cultural heritage. • Well-functioning cooperation between authorities at different levels, and also with other stakeholders and NGOs, has helped Finland to success in the competition for EU financing (eg. LIFE funds).
LIFE for Natura 2000
• During the years 2014-2017, Finland has benefited from substantial EU funding for many multi-year projects in the LIFE Plus 2014-2020 and the previous LIFE 2006-2013 programmes. The LIFE Nature and Biodiversity strand is targeting especially habitats and species of special value in Europe. • More than 260 Natura 2000 sites have been and are involved in these projects. Some of the projects have been chosen among the best in the EU during their implementation periods. 1
1 See: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/ o Boreal Peatland LIFE 2010-2014 (peatland habitats, 54 sites) o Species-rich LIFE 2011-2016 (traditional agricultural and other habitats, 59 sites) o Saimaa Seal LIFE 2013-2018 (target species, 10 sites) o NATNET LIFE 2013-2018 (development of network cohesion, 32 sites) o Light & Fire LIFE+ Project 2014–2020 (habitats needing light and fire, 69 sites) o Wild Forest Reindeer LIFE+ 2016-2023 (target species, 2 sites) o Hydrology LIFE+ 2017-2023 (wetlands, 103 sites) o Freshabit LIFE Integrated project 2016-2022 (8 larger inland catchment areas, several sites)
In 2017, new project applications have been developed, targeting another 84 Natura 2000 sites
o Beetles LIFE+ 2018-2023 (old-growth forest habitat and species, 32 sites) o Coast Net LIFE+ 2018-2025 (coastal habitat complexes, 37 sites in Finland) o Flying Squirrel LIFE+ 2018-2025 (target species, 15 sites in Finland)
(ii) Additional measures to enhance integration of protected areas and other effective area -based conservation measures into the wider land - and seascapes;
Using the Zonation software to support forest and mire protection programmes
• Zonation is a conservation planning framework and software, created by the C-BIG Conservation Biology Informatics Group at the University of Helsinki in Finland (headed by Dr. Atte Moilanen). The team has worked with the Ministry of the Environment, P&WF and regional environment administrations and research institutions to improve targeting and enhance decision making in national forest and mire protection programmes. • In Finland, the Zonation tool has been used in various ways to target site selection and management measures for best conservation outcomes, utilizing all available national GIS-based data that is relevant to nature conservation issues. Examples include: o Targeting optimal protection sites close to existing protected areas, to bring best conservation value from supplementary area-based protection. This has been used on state lands to extend the ecological networks, and also to guide private landowners in voluntary site protection. o National Parks Finland is planning to use Zonation as a tool also to prioritize protected area management measures, focusing on sites with most cost effective ecological outcomes. • Zonation is an open source software that is freely available and has been widely used also internationally. See https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/metapopulation-research- centre/software
Natu ral resource p lanning (NRP) of s tat e owned lands
• NRP methodology was updated in 2014, and planning is now in process for the third time. New plans have been completed in 2015 for Kainuu (in the eastern part of Finland) and in 2017 for Southern Finland. The NRP process for Ostrobothnia in the western part of Finland is starting in 2018. • NRP refers to the long-term strategic planning of the sustainable use of state-owned land and water areas (administered by Metsähallitus). These areas are used for various purposes, such as nature conservation (eg. protected areas and biodiversity sites with restricted forestry use), forestry, recreation, eco-tourism, real estate development and the sale of soil resources. NRP is reconciling these multiple objectives aiming at maximum benefits for Finnish society. • The first NRPs were drawn up in 1997. The planning system was renewed in 2002 by adding a landscape-ecological assessment, with the aim to enhance connectivity to the ecological network around protected areas and placing more focus on co-operation with stakeholder groups. Updated plans were completed 2007-2013. • NRP also seeks to find any new opportunities offered by state-owned lands and waters. One option is offering areas and opportunities for implementation of ecological compensation: the loss or degradation of a habitat is compensated by restoring similar habitats elsewhere. Metsähallitus is exploring methods to find potential ecological compensation sites that would best support the protected area network. National urban p arks
• Two new national urban parks have been established, in coastal town Kotka in 2014 and inland town Forssa in 2015. A new national urban park will be established in Kuopio at the end of 2017. • Capital city Helsinki and coastal town Kokkola are presently conducting feasibility studies on possibilities of establishing a national urban park. • To date, since the first designation in 2001, eight (8) cities/towns have now integrated natural and cultural protected sites and values based on statutory land use planning. These designations have both added value to the local identity and enhanced tourism.
River basin management planning
• In 2015, the Finnish government approved seven revised regional river basin management plans for 2016-2021. o These plans cover most of mainland Finland. The Government of Åland is responsible for the river basin district that covers the autonomous Åland Islands province. Two international river basin districts have also been designated covering parts of Finland, one of which is shared with Norway, and the other with Sweden. o The management plans and the related action plans include information on the condition of water bodies, the factors affecting them and measures which will restore inland and coastal waters in these regions to good condition by 2021. • River basin management action plans take into account the conservation objectives of and measures required by surface/groundwater-dependent Natura 2000 sites. These have been identified by standardized criteria and the sites have been compiled into a national registry. • Several EU funded LIFE projects, led by P&WF, use this ecosystem-based river basin management framework for planning measures in freshwater and other wetland Natura 2000 sites. See especially LIFE Integrated project FRESHABIT: http://www.metsa.fi/web/en/freshabit
Marine s patial planning
• The EU issued a Directive on marine spatial planning in 2014 and this was transposed to national legislation in 2016. Strategic level marine spatial plans will be compiled by provincial land use planning authorities in cooperation with stakeholders and will be completed by 2021. • A status report on the premises of marine spatial planning in Finland was published in 2017. This is an analysis of information needed and presently available for ecosystem based multi-objective (including nature conservation and area-based protection) and integrated spatial planning in coastal and marine areas. See: http://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/80034/YMra_15_2017.pdf (in Finnish)
(iii) Mainstreaming of protected areas and other effective area -based conservation measures across sectors to contribute, inter alia, to the Sustainable Development Goals and as natural solutions to combat climate change; an d
Working group for enhancing implementation of the National Biodiversity Action P lan
• The national strategy and action plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, entitled “Saving Nature for People”, was approved by a government resolution in December 2012. A complimentary Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA) Action Plan was also compiled and is being implemented together with the BD Action Plan. • The implementation of the BD Action Plan is monitored by a broad-based national working group appointed by the Ministry of the Environment, with representatives from the public and private sectors, research institutes, stakeholder groups and non-governmental organisations, in addition to ten ministries. In 2017, new members were appointed to the WG for years 2017-2021. • A mid-term evaluation of the BD Action Plan was conducted in 2016. See: https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/fi/fi-nbsap-v3-p3-en.pdf • The Biodiversity.fi portal for national biodiversity indicators, which are used for BD Action Plan evaluation, has been further developed and expanded. Indicators include area-based conservation (forests, mires, seas, inland waters, shores, rocky and esker habitats) and ecosystem services. See: https://www.biodiversity.fi/en/home • In 2015, the Fifth CBD Business & Biodiversity Forum “Practices, Solutions and the Way Forward” was organized in Finland with FIBS (Finnish Business & Society), Finland’s leading corporate responsibility network. It offered various examples of companies’ solutions from the agriculture, forestry, mining and oil industries.
Implementation of other biodiversity -related n ational action plans
Several national action plans have been approved/implemented during years 2014-2017, that include relevant measures concerning protected areas:
• Action plan for improving the state of threatened habitat types in Finland (2011). See: https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/37027/SY15_2011_Toimintasuunnitelma_uhanalais ten_luontotyyppien_tilan_parantamiseksi.pdf (in Finnish) • Action plan for protection of threatened species in Finland (2017). Very important part of this programme is the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility, which is part of the Global BIF network. See: http://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/handle/10024/79398 (in Finnish) • Finland’s Ramsar Wetlands Action Plan 2016-2020. See: https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/handle/10024/75332 • National Strategy on Harmful Alien Species. See: http://mmm.fi/documents/1410837/1894125/Finlands_national_strategy_on_invasive_alien_species .pdf/61137cdf-92ad-4ac8-8b6d-0feaeaedfe74
Developing protected areas in the changing climate
• The Finnish Environment Institute (FEI) is conducting a study “Protected area network in the changing climate”, assessing the sufficiency and the ability of the protected area network to preserve natural diversity in the changing climate. o A preliminary report was published in 2017 and the project continues until the end of year 2019. See: http://hdl.handle.net/10138/222916
Protected area b enefits
• FEI conducted a research programme on Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) and ecosystem services, including protected areas. o A report was published in 2015: “Towards A Sustainable and Genuinely Green Economy. The value and social significance of ecosystem services in Finland (TEEB for Finland) – Synthesis and roadmap”. See: https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/152815/FE_1_2015.pdf • In 2017, FEI also initiated a pilot programme on Ecosystem Accounting, aiming at wider implementation within the EU. • P&WF has been assessing the regional economic and employment impacts and benefits of national park visitation for more than a decade. Also health benefits have been taken into focus more recently. o The cost-benefit is significant: for each euro of tax payers’ money invested in the visitor services of national parks, the local economy benefits over 10 euros, on average. For national parks located next to ski resorts, the average ratio is still higher. Close to big cities and the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, the visitation impacts are primarily recreation and health benefits. o The total income and job impacts of all the 39 national parks in 2016 were 178.9 million euros and about 1,774 jobs (full-time equivalent) and for all the 6 hiking areas 13.3 million euros and about 142 jobs (FTE). o A study on the health benefits of national parks was published in 2014. See: https://julkaisut.metsa.fi/assets/pdf/lp/Asarja/a208.pdf (in Finnish, English summary) o A programme to promote public health benefits of outdoor recreation, especially targeting protected areas, has been launched in cooperation with the health sector, including the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
• A nationally coordinated voluntary work programme is on-going since 2012. The volume of participation has been growing annually. The work benefits both protected areas and the several thousand volunteers. o Typical voluntary activities include participating in the observation of species as well as camps at which volunteers manage heritage landscapes by mowing and clearing. Volunteers also help to renovate valuable old buildings and manage game and fish populations in state owned land areas. (iv) Effective governance models for management of protected areas, including equity, taking into account work being undertaken under Articles 8(j).
Private nature reserves (PNR)
• In Finland, PNRs are established on privately owned land, based on the same legislation as state owned nature reserves (Nature Conservation Act, NCA 1996). The PNR landowner can be eg. a private citizen, estate, enterprise, association, foundation, congregation, or municipality. In 2017, there are about 10,500 private nature reserves, with a total area of 327,000 hectares (c. 6% of the PA network). Most sites have originally been designated in national nature conservation programmes. • The regional environmental administration (presently 13 Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment or ELY Centres) is responsible for the regional implementation and development tasks of the central government. These statutory duties include establishing private protected areas and marking them on the ground. • PNR enactment resolutions indicate the site-specific provisions (i.e. conservation objectives and use restrictions) which are largely based on the NCA. ELY Centres also coordinate and supervise management of the PNRs. In addition, the role of P&WF regional units as an active participant in management measures, working together with landowners, has increased in recent years. Municipalities, at least larger towns and cities, manage their own nature reserves independently, but they operate in cooperation with the ELY Centres, especially concerning sites that are also designated in the Natura 2000 network. • The Finnish private PAs have been described as a country case in the IUCN publication “Futures of Privately Protected Areas”. o See: https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/PATRS-001.pdf
App lying CBD Akwé:Kon guidelines within the Sámi Homeland A rea
• Since 2013, the CBD Akwé: Kon guidelines have been applied to various planning processes on state owned lands within the Sámi Homeland Area in northern Lapland. These include management plans of wilderness reserves and national parks. The process aims at safeguarding culture and traditional knowledge of the indigenous Sámi, while mitigating conflicts between reindeer husbandry and other land use as well as negative impacts on nature in the region. • The Akwé: Kon working group is an addition to the participatory planning system. It supports the work of the management planning coordination group, and increases interaction between Metsähallitus and other users and stakeholders in the planning areas. Impact assessment becomes part of the planning process and is not a separate phase that is only completed afterwards. Changes to the management plan can be made as early as in the drafting stage.