Finland tops protected forest list
9 March 2004Finland has the highest proportion of strictly protected forest in Europe, according to a new publication published by the Finnish Forest Industries Federation.
The "Forest, Environment and Industry – a story of new ways forward" booklet says strictly protected forest accounts for 7.2% of the country's total forested area.
It says 80 million m3 of new wood is grown in Finnish forests annually and 55 million m3 is harvested, of which about half is thinnings.
Other highlights include the "remarkable" comeback of timber houses, the foresty industry's annual €10m spend on air pollution control and its success operating most of the country's 200-plus bioenergy plants.
The publication predicts a bright future for Europe's forests, with annual growth exceeding the amount of wood removed by felling.
