Unprotected Old-Growth Forests in northern Norway

Old-growth forest environment in Gjeddvatnet. Photo: Sini Saarela

In the northeastern corner of Norway near the Arctic Ocean and Murmansk lies one of the largest old-growth forest areas in Norway. It’s on the border to the vast wilderness areas of Vätsäri on the Finnish side. These sparse, rocky pine forests have to a large extent survived untouched because of their remoteness and low productivity.

There are more than 4000 hectares of unprotected old-growth forests and thousands of hectares untouched subalpine birch scrublands in Pasvik. The forests are situated between and around Øvre Pasvik National park and Store Sametti Nature reserve. These two protected areas could be easily joined together and to the Vätsäri wilderness area by protecting the remaining old-growth forest areas. Vätsäri and Pasvik forests make are one of the largest untouched forest areas in the whole Fennoscandia. Almost all of the forests on the Finnish side are protected. If the forests on Norwegian side would be fragmented by loggings this possibility would be gone. The Norwegian state was logging in Pasvik until it was found out that the loggings were not economically sustainable(!). Now the whole Pasvik area is being governed by the co-operation body of local communities called Finnmark Eiendom. It is uncertain what will happen in the with the area, no decisions of protection or logging activities have been made.

More information about the Øvre Pasvik National park and the Pasvik-Inari area can be found at pasvik-inari.net

This map shows unprotected High Conservation Value Forest areas in Pasvik, Sør-Varanger. If you click on the red pins you get a link to an album with pictures from the area. Download the whole NordicForests.org Map for Google Earth here .

Vätsäri-Pasvik is also included in the report “Worlds Intact Forest Landscapes” by Greenpeace. It shows all the intact forest areas in the world that are more than 50 000 hectares of size. Actually, the contour in northern Pasvik is not quite correct; forests around Store Sametti should be included also by the definitions of the report! Read more at: intactforests.org.

Føllvasshögda. Photo: Olli Manninen

More photos of unprotected Old-Growth Forest in Pasvik

See all forests and more at picasaweb