First, she checks the public Land Information System for the owner of the forest plot where the wood on offer originates. Next, the identity of the seller is verified by the same methods that officials use to identify citizens. “We ensure that the seller really owns the trees being offered.” A PHONE REPLACES MAP AND COMPASS Rautiainen knows Antti Pätilä. He inherited a forest from his parents and has since obtained more forest land. He has been an active forest owner for more than 50 years. Although Pätilä has long forestry experience of his own, he appreciates the specialist’s view on what to do in the forest and when is the best time to do it. He and Rautiainen visit his forests once or twice a year, walking around and considering management needs and a felling schedule. “Sometimes I initiate the conversation, sometimes it is Anu. We have a good, close partnership and I feel I get good service as a forest owner,” says Pätilä. The forest owner also appreciates the electronic services for forest holding management, which have developed by leaps and bounds in recent years. His most important tool for browsing the information available is a digital and map- based management and felling plan for his forests. When he is out in the forest, Pätilä uses the plan on his phone.
He uses two different web services to manage his forests: Metsäverkko, a web service offered to forest owners by Metsä Group, and the free service Metsään.fi offered to all forest owners by the State of Finland. Metsään.fi is used by more than 100,000 Finnish forest owners. “Web services are really great tools for a forest owner. You can handle almost everything with electronic systems today.” Even the map system is 100 per cent reliable, says Pätilä. “It gives me my own location in the terrain and is so accurate that I can find the boundaries of the estate and the fixed landmarks in the terrain on my phone screen. It is impossible to accidentally make a felling plan on the neighbour’s land.” MARKET DEMANDS AND AUTHORITY SUPERVISION When a forest owner wants to sell and harvest wood from their forest, they must file a forest use declaration with the authorities. The authorities check the declaration to ensure that the felling will take place in an area where it is allowed. The declaration is an important part of Metsä Group’s information guidance system. Only after the forest use dec- laration has been issued and permission for felling obtained from the authorities does the system allow the forest special- ist to send felling instructions to the machine entrepreneur.
“I have an emotional relationship with the trees and terrain of my forest. I have hiked, gathered berries and hunted here since I was a child.” Antti Pätilä, forest owner
“In the winter I meet forest owners in their forests two or three days a week. Spring is the busiest season, when I spend all my work days in the forest.” Anu Rautiainen, Forest Specialist
The owner’s personal goals can be seen in how they handle their own forest. “Some people emphasise game management in their wish lists, for example,” Anu Rautiainen says.
The harvester operator cuts the wood to correct lengths according to the mills’ requirements. This site supplies wood to five different mills.
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