Police investigate suspected environmental crime in Orivesi, Finland

The police in Central Finland are investigating a suspected environmental crime in Orivesi. The request for an inquiry was made by the Pirkanmaa Center for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY) concerning logging actions that took place in April 2023. The news was first reported by Talouselämä.

The alleged crime occurred in the Siitama area of Orivesi, where Metsä Group logged protected woodland that ELY had designated to be preserved. Juha Jumppanen, the forest director, expressed the company’s regret over the incident, emphasizing that Metsä Group has clear guidelines and processes for considering ecological factors during timber harvesting.

According to Jumppanen, the employee responsible for planning the logging acted against both the company’s protocols and official guidelines. He has since left the company. The error was discovered by a temporary replacement who identified deficiencies in the planning and sought further instructions from ELY.

Upon being contacted, ELY officials visited the site, where they found significant changes, according to inspector Marita Saksa-Lapikisto. The previously closed forest had been transformed into an open logging area, with only a few trees left standing. While some felled trees were left as deadwood and logging waste was removed, the area’s structural integrity was compromised, affecting the light and humidity conditions critical for the survival of protected species.

The investigation is still ongoing, according to Crime Commissioner Tuomas Luhtaniemi from the Kangasala police station. Environmental crimes have become a significant topic in Finland following recent reports of extensive logging damage in Suomussalmi.