The Metso programme’s report says 5% of municipalities have protected forests, compared to only 1.5% in 2000.
Municipalities want to grow the biodiversity values of their recreational forests, while every third municipality is thinking of increasing the share of recreational forests it owns.
But training is needed to help realise these aims, along with economic and social incentives. Municipalities feel biodiversity promotion will diminish profits from forestry and increase costs of nature management.
