Wilderness Areas in Northern Finland
Wilderness areas are established in northernmost Lapland in accordance to the Wilderness Act. They are not protected areas proper but belong to Finland’s Natura 2000 network.
The aims of wilderness areas are to conserve their rugged wild nature, to preserve Sámi culture and livelihoods, and to develop the diverse use of nature and its potential.
All 12 of Finland’s wilderness areas were established in 1991 and their combined area measures 14,903 sq.km. All the wilderness areas are managed by Metsähallitus.
Building roads and mining activity are examples of things forbidden in wilderness areas unless permission is granted by the government. Some wilderness areas are completely protected from logging, while limited forestry is allowed in others.
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