The national park is starting to be surrounded by logging and roads. The latest in this chain: one of the plots of land between the boat peer and the northern boundary of the national park, through which the legendary Hetta-Pallas hiking trail runs, has been bought by a large forestry company. At this rate, the park will remain an isolated island of protection, even though it is well known that the most important thing for preserving biodiversity is the interconnectedness of protected areas.
The summer hiking trail was established in 1934 and has since served tourists who come to Lapland for a moment in the bosom of nature. It may well be Finland’s most famous nature destination in the world. In terms of visitor numbers, it is also the most popular in Finland. Not only does this trail, the oldest and mos legendary hiking trail in the Finnish fells, pass through the plot in question, but also across-country ski trail and a snowmobile route cross it.
The issue has been hotly contested, with local residents loudly and in large numbers voicing their concerns about the route and the future of the national park. By an unanimous vote, the municipal council decided to exercise its right of first refusal and buy the area for conservation. However, the forestry operator who bought the plot appealed to the administrative court, where the case is still pending. The municipality justified the need for protection on the basis of the hiking trail, which is included in the regional plan as a route of cultural and historical importance and is one of the cornerstones of local tourism.
In its complaint, the forestry operator claimed that there are dozens of similar routes in the area. He must not be much of a nature walker to not know the difference between a trail and a trail! Well, any hiker might wonder, as they pass centuries-old coniferous trees, bird nest and clear streams in the middle of a mycelium undergrowth that sustain it all: how different the national park experience would be if you had to walk through a clearing at the start or the end of the walk.
Read a newspaper article on this topic in Lapin Kansa: https://www.lapinkansa.fi/pienmetsanomistaja-taina-niemela-huolestui-enontek/6249043
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