Finnish forest owners plant 160 million saplings

This spring family forest owners will plant a total of 160 million saplings in Finnish forests. The family forest area concerned will be almost 85,000 hectares.

Only domestic species, i.e. spruce, pine and birch, will be used in regeneration, spruce being the most common species. The species to be planted are selected according to stand properties. Deciduous trees, such a birch and rowan, grow naturally in planted coniferous forests so as to create mixed forests.

By virtue of the Forest Act forest owners are liable for taking care that new forests will grow to replace felled ones and that forests are not destroyed. After regeneration felling it must be taken care of that an economic viable seedling stand will be established. Replanting must be made not later than within three years after the regeneration felling.

Private persons own 60 % of Finnish forests, i.e. a total of 12 million hectares. About 1.2 % of this area is annually regenerated. Private forests represent about 85 % of commercial felling in Finland.