Image: Puumala municipality
4 PROTECTED AREAS AND MARKINGS Finnish people have traditionally had a very close relationship with forests, lakes and other natural environments. This is also reflected in legislation that preserves our natural and cultural heritage. The objectives of the Nature Conservation Act are to • maintain biological diversity • conserve the beauty and scenic values of nature • promote the sustainable use of natural resources and the natural environment • promote awareness and general interest in nature • promote scientific research. Although Saimaa Geopark is not a protected area in its entirety, it does contain several areas with protected status. Finland’s nature conservation programmes are state-run projects that aim to protect nature from human impact. The “Protected Area Management Principles” guide published by Metsähallitus defines a protected area as a special area established in accordance with the Nature Conservation Act in order to either preserve an original natural habitat as it is or maintain or restore specific natural characteristics, development processes, species, landscapes, or cultural environments. Protection
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is permanent and geared towards the future. If the area is used for other purposes, it must be done in such a way as not to endanger the area’s preservation (Metsähallitus 2014, 23). Finland is home to a comprehensive network of nature conservation areas. The majority of conservation areas are also included in the Natura 2000 network. The use of nature conservation areas is stipulated by the Nature Conservation Act mentioned earlier in this section. A statutory management plan is drawn up for national parks. Such a plan can also be drawn up for other nature conservation areas as necessary. Metsähallitus has drawn up a management plan for the Suur-Saimaa – Lietvesi – Luonteri Natura area. Programmes which protect certain habitats include conservation programmes for mires, bird wetlands, eskers, herb-rich forests, beaches, and old forests. The most geologically significant programmes are those for national landscape conservation areas, beaches, ridges, rocky areas, and waterway management. Protected areas and sites are also taken into account in zoning, such as in provincial planning. Please note that the Saimaa Geopark area is not a national park, nor is it a nature park under strict conservation. The area contains the Saimaa nature conservation area, which was established with a decree but which falls slightly short of the 1,000 ha state-owned area requirement for national parks. In addition to state-owned land, the area also includes several privately owned nature conservation areas.
