Helsinki politics the information guiding the management of urban forests will be updated during this year. The new policies are in line with the city strategy and its natural environment maintenance goals. Residents and stakeholders are invited to the autumn discussion sessions.

The city of Helsinki has initiated the renewal of the management policy for natural areas. The current nature protection policy is from 2011.

It describes the principles, approaches and key measures for the management of green areas owned by the City of Helsinki.

The policy is being updated to better reflect the current city strategy and its goals. One of the main goals of the strategy is to increase the planned diversity of forest areas. Another goal is to allow forests to age naturally. In addition, the new policies also prepare for climate change and the ability of forests to cope with a growing city.

The updates are based on Helsinki’s Biodiversity Action Plan (LUMO), its goals for increasing biodiversity, and numerous other reviews about nature and the environment. Updates are implemented in two stages. In the first phase in 2022, the work will cover forest areas, while the second phase in 2023 will update the policy for open landscapes such as meadows and fields. Nature conservation areas are not included in the nature conservation policy.

Joint discussions about forest management in autumn

Green areas and natural diversity are important to the people of Helsinki and to the city itself, and that is why the city wants to listen to the views of residents and stakeholders as widely as possible. In connection with this, open events are organized in September. The nature management guidelines for the forests will be in the residents’ comments in the Kerrokantasi service later in the fall. The city will also discuss with environmental organizations and operators in joint meetings in the fall.

The management of natural areas will be discussed as widely and versatile as possible from different perspectives in the seminar organized on September 8, which will discuss, among other things, biodiversity, the current state of Helsinki’s forests and the effects of urbanization on forests. possession. The seminar will present the latest scientific findings on urban forests and their management. In addition, a workshop will be organized on September 21, where the themes covered in the seminar will be deepened. The times, dates and topics of these events will be announced in August.

The first part of the nature management policy, which concerns forest areas, will be submitted to the urban environment committee at the end of the year. The policies are drawn up by Helsinki’s urban environment group in cooperation with consulting firm Sitowise.

During the preparation of the new guidelines, only a limited number of measures will be implemented in Helsinki’s forests. The city ensures the safety of visitors to forest areas by removing dangerous trees and implementing safety-enhancing measures at the boundaries of the plots. on land and along the route.

Source: City of Helsinki, Urban Environment Agency