Species Which Are in Need of Special Protection
In the Nature Conservation Decree, some of the threatened species are defined as being in need of special protection. In the IUCN Red List classification, these species belong to categories:
- Critically endangered (CR),
- Endangered (EN) and
- Vulnerable (VU)
It is forbidden to destroy or weaken habitats which are important to the survival of the species in need of special protection.
Metsähallitus conducts or commissions inventories on species on its own or together with the Regional Environment Centres. Some of these inventories are also about the species in need of special protection. According to the inventories, the Regional Environment Centre outlines the important habitats of species, and informs the landowners.
In special cases, Metsähallitus may also define important habitats on its own, on condition that:
- An important, viable occurrance of the species is located on the areas managed by Metsähallitus.
- The species is classified as endangered or vulnerable (not critically endangered).
- The occurrance is not in risk from outside, such as from mining.
Metsähallitus takes into account all the species which are in need of special protection, as well as other threatened species, in its natural resource planning.