The Metsä Group Plus management model, which implements the principles of regenerative forestry and has achieved widespread popularity among Finnish forest owners, will now be expanded to the management of lush peatlands, which are drained and spruce dominated.
From 1 September 2024, the Metsä Group Plus additional bonus will be paid for felling on lush peatlands if continuous cover methods – group selection or selection cutting – are adopted instead of clear cutting. In peatlands managed in accordance with the Plus model, drainage ditches are not repaired in connection with continuous cover felling, and buffer zones around waterbodies meet the highest requirements in use. There are more than one million hectares of drained lush peatlands in Finland.
In peatlands, clear cutting and drainage repair account for the bulk of water and climate load caused by forestry. The impacts are greatest in drained lush peatlands. Peatland water levels must not rise too high or fall too low. Continuous cover forestry, meaning that evaporating trees are in place at all times, helps maintain the water level at a suitable level in terms of air and water emissions.
In peatlands, the share of continuous cover forestry has been increasing steadily in recent years. In 2023, around a quarter of the area of peatland regeneration felling carried out by Metsä Group (around 40% in northern Finland) was carried out using continuous cover methods such as selection and group selection cutting.
‘The condition of Finnish forests must continue to be improved. We use the most recent research results and adopt measures that improve the state of forest nature and are more comprehensive than current established practices and certificate requirements. In peatlands, forests play a key role for wood supply, climate and biodiversity. We want to be a forerunner in revising peatland forest management practices. Increasing the share of continuous cover forestry in lush peatlands also supports the diversification of forest structure and forest biodiversity,’ said Juha Jumppanen, executive vice president, Metsä Group Wood Supply and Forest Services.
Of wood trades completed during the group’s campaign in February to April 2024, around 40% were agreed in accordance with the Plus management model. In terms of cubic metres, this accounted for more than 50% of wood trade during the campaign. Metsä Group pays an additional trade specific bonus per hectare for regeneration felling and for felling aiming for continuous cover regeneration of lush peatlands that are carried out according to the Plus model. The additional bonus encourages owner members to adopt measures that pay greater attention to biodiversity than current practices.
‘The Metsä Group Plus model, which promotes regenerative forestry, has been enthusiastically welcomed, and it will now be expanded to peatlands to generate positive effects. We pay a higher price for regenerative forestry and guide forest owners in the right direction. The measures carried out jointly with the more than 90,000 owner members of Metsä Group’s parent company, Metsäliitto Cooperative, have a considerable positive impact on the state of forest nature, as the members own around half of Finland’s private forests,’ said Juha Jumppanen.