The Nature Conservation Unit
The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation is combatting the loss of biodiversity in Finland. More than half of nature habitats and 10 % of species are endangered in Finland. The main threats are posed by practices in forestry and agriculture. Practices particular for Finland, like peat mining, also pose a threat to biodiversity.
FANC is working with nature conservation and policy making at the municipal, regional, national and EU levels. Important fields of work are forest, mire and water protection, management and protection of cultural landscapes, land use issues and protection of endangered species. The organization's flagship species is the Saimaa ringed seal, which lives only in the Finnish Lake Saimaa with less than 260 individuals left.
Our conservation work has lead to many concrete results. Several Finnish national parks have been established due to our initiatives. The national bird, the whooper swan, and the national animal, the European bear, have been saved from extinction and are once again living in all parts of Finland. During the year 2010 we're celebrating the international year of biodiversity.
A big part of the nature conservation work is done at the local level, in our regional offices and local clubs. Work includes inventories and proposals for new protected areas, statements on spatial plans and on environmental impact assessments, restoration of meadows etc.
At the national level, nature conservation work is lead by the head of unit, three specialists and the nature conservation committee. The work is supplemented with several projects and annual themes.
FANC is a member of international networks, such as the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), IUCN, OCEAN2012 and Taiga Rescue Network. FANC works closely with many other organizations, for example Fisheries Secretariat and Forests and the European Union Resource Network (FERN). FANC also has a long experience in co-operation with Russian NGOs, especially in the field of forest conservation.
Forest protection
Forests are the most important habitat of threatened species in Finland. Forestry is the single most significant threat for habitat types and species to be threatened. Forest management is very intensive and the area yearly clear-cuts reaches 120 000 - 150 000 hectares.
Despite of the current conservation measures, the loss of forest biodiversity is continuing. Especially in Southern Finland where forest biodiversity is at its richest and management the most intensive, there's still much work to be done in forest protection. So far only 2 % of the forest cover in Southern Finland is under protection.
Most of the protected forest areas are located in the very Northern parts of Finland where most of the forest land is owned by the government. Still there are many ongoing disputes concerning forestry in Northern Finland since forests have a great significance to local livelihoods in many ways, not just as a source of wood.
Forests and their biodiversity can be maintained only by creating a network of protected areas extensive and big enough, supported by restoration work and ecological management of surrounding commercial forests. FANC works for forest protection by putting forward proposals for conservation areas, giving statements, informing the public and by influencing policy making.
Mire protection
Mires are an essential part of the original landscape all over Finland due to its cool but moist climate and flat but vivid ground. Over half of the original mire and wetland landscape of Finland has been ditched and drained for forestry purposes and have thus lost their natural state.
The extensive drainage, which reached its peak in the 1970s, has led to a destruction of mire habitats in large areas in all of Finland apart from the most Northern parts of Lapland. Today, a major threat to the remaining mire habitats is peat mining for energy production.
Apart from habitat and biodiversity lost, drainage has also turned previously neutral mire habitats into sources of carbon dioxide and some other green house gases.
FANC persistently works for the conservation of the remaining natural mire habitats, linking it with water protection and work in the fields of climate and energy policies.
Water protection
The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation aims to protect the biodiversity of water-related environment. FANC works to prevent water pollution and nutrient load to inland waters and the Baltic Sea. Our main target is to make sure that Finland takes responsibility of its own nutrient loads and reduces the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea.
FANC informs politicians, authorities and the public about water protection. FANC prepares newsletters and teaching material on water issues. FANC co-operates with Finnish scouts by organizing an annual Big Jump event and an environmental education project (Coast Watch).
FANC takes part in the preparation of water related legislation and in the implementation of European Union's water directives, such as the water framework directive, marine strategy directive and floods directive.
FANC works to protect small waters, such as streams and springs through policies and land use. Our regional office in Ostrobotnia region leads projects to survey and restore small waters.
Our regional experts work in co-operation groups that prepare regional river basin management plans in Finland. FANC works to educate its regional representatives and follows how public participation in water management is proceeding. Regional representatives strive to work as a link between citizens and authorities.
Photos on this page: the Saimaa ringed seal by SLL / Juha Taskinen, the birch reflection on water by SLL / Tomi Parkkonen, others by SLL.
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