Annual fluctuations in felling volumes are large, and forest owners' willingness to sell has been most affected by the high price of wood in recent years, as well as forest damage and the avoidance of it through felling. For example, in September 2025, forest use notifications received by the Forest Centre decreased by a third compared to previous years, when price expectations did not meet.
Forest use should primarily be influenced by means of information guidance. Forest management recommendations, which are easily accessible online, have been prepared for the use of forest owners and forestry professionals, and can be used to take into account the very wide range of objectives of the owners.
Forest growth and carbon sequestration can be increased by improving the quality of forest regeneration, fertilization, and avoiding excessive thinning and reforestation when the forest is very young. The method of regeneration, the quality of soil preparation, and the use of improved seeds or seedlings should be considered in methods focusing on thinning and regeneration logging.
Some forests are being regenerated earlier than the forest management recommendations indicate. The growth of the forest stand has accelerated significantly, so the regeneration diameters in the forest management recommendations could justifiably be increased. However, there is no need for the minimum regeneration diameters or ages specified in the previous Forest Act. According to the Forest Resource Information Center's forest resource data, the share of young plantation forests in the regeneration area has been only two percent in recent years.
According to the data provided by the Natural Resources Institute Finland for the greenhouse gas inventory, emissions from soil, and especially from drained peatlands, have increased. The reduction in soil carbon sinks has been influenced by, among other things, the decomposition of peat due to global warming, the decline in growth due to the aging of the tree population, and increased natural loss. Research professor Ilkka Leinonen has repeatedly pointed out that the decline in carbon sinks in Finnish forests is a natural and inevitable process. Reducing logging is not the solution to climate sustainability. The solution is to move away from the use of fossil raw materials.
Controlled restrictions on clear-cutting would only bring climate benefits on fertile peatlands. Even there, clear-cutting should be permitted due to the economic needs of forest owners. Maintaining tree growth and health on fertile peatlands also requires maintaining clear-cutting in the felling rotations.
Stricter regulation of logging could lead to ill-considered decisions. The trust of forest owners and entrepreneurs in continuity must be maintained. The diverse use of commercial forests benefits not only the owners and society, but also the environment.
Markku Remes
Leading forestry expert, Finnish Forestry Centre
