Outdoor activity has always been enthusiastic among Finns, but when the coronavirus crisis began to tighten grip last spring, more people than ever visited the country’s national parks.
At the onset of the crisis, residents were increasingly turning to the outdoors rather than other indoor activities, according to Google monitoring data.
The Ministry of the Environment has received applications for the establishment of five new parks, including the Punkaharju-Haarikko area in the eastern part of the country, Evois in Häme, Porkala in Kirkkonummi, the Sallatunturi area in Lapland and Korouoma canyon in Posio, southern Lapland. At present, Finland maintains 40 national parks around the country.
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It is also possible that entirely new parks will be established, partly because of the Prime Minister Sanna MarinAccording to the Minister for the Environment and Climate (SDP), the aim of the government program is to develop the national park system, Krista Mikkonen (Green).
“This past spring has shown that Finns love national parks. Citizens think they are worth investing in,” Mikkonen said.
Expansion of the parks is also possible
Senior Adviser to the Ministry, Jukka-Pekka Flander, said that the expansion of the existing parks has also been discussed, that there is an agreement to increase the size of the Pohjois-Savo Tiilikkajärvi Nature Park and in the areas between the Seitseminen and Helvetinjärvi National Parks in the Pirkanmaa region.
Uusimaa’s very popular Nuuksio Park is also a candidate for expansion, he said.
“The area is used a lot,” Flander explained.
This year, the growing popularity of the country’s national parks was clearly visible in Rautavaara’s Tiilikkajärvi Park. In the first half of the year, there were almost twice as many visitors as in the corresponding period in 2019.
The size of Lake Tiilikkajärvi is designed to triple to 34 to 99 square kilometers. According to the mayor of Rautavaara Henri Ruotsalainen, this would have a significant impact on conservation measures and boost the local economy.
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“This would allow us to market outdoor experience packages, which would be a whole new business for us,” The Swede explained that he thinks the size of the park is currently small and remote, which makes it difficult to sell such services.
The land on which the extension is planned has only two owners, the Finnish Forest Administration Metsähallitus and the forest service company Tornator. The Swede said both owners are in favor of expansion plans.
However, decisions on the expansion of national parks are taken by Parliament, as legislative changes are needed to establish a new park or expand an existing one.
Minister of the Environment Mikkonen said that he sees no reason to wait for the expansion of Tiilikkajärvi Park, and stated that preparations for the move may be completed in a little over a year.
“If the process proceeds smoothly, such as negotiations with landowners and delays in Parliament, it may be possible by early 2022.
Source: The Nordic Page