Forest legislation (Metsälainsäädäntö)

According to the general conception, the forest legislation in Finland includes the following: Forest Act, Act on the Financing of Sustainable Forestry, Act on Metsähallitus, Act on Forest Centre and Forest Management Association Act.

Forestry is also regulated by means of taxation law, Act on the Prevention of Insect and Fungous Damage in the Forest, Act on Trade in Forest Reproductive Material, Nature Conservation Act, Land Use and Building Act and Environmental Protection Act.

The Forest Act is the primary act regulating the use of commercial forest. It is enforced by the Finnish Forest Centre, a governmental forestry organization. The Nature Conservation Act only regulates the use and management of nature conservation areas. Public authorities can use the Act on the Financing of Sustainable Forestry to support forest management. Such support may be regarded as an investment by society which yields a good return. However, the fundamental reason for the support is that the management of family-owned forests is supra-generational by nature. Very often, the financial benefit from forestry management is only derived by the subsequent generations, and this is why society has deemed it necessary to provide support in order to safeguard the continuity of forestry in Finland. The act is also often called “kemera”, an abbreviation from Act on the Financing of Sustainable Forestry.