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The National Forest Strategy's vision is that sustainable forest management is a source of growing welfare. With this vision as its starting point, the Government Report on Forest Policy sets the following strategic objectives: 1) Finland is a competitive operating environment for forest-based business; 2) Forest-based business and activities and their structures are renewed and diversified; 3) Forests are in active, economically, ecologically and socially sustainable and diverse use. The National Forest Strategy contains 28 objectives that have been organised into seven groups: 1) Forest sector grows, enterprises and business are renewed and new and growth enterprises are developed; 2) Supply of raw materials allows for increased use of forests and new investments; 3) EU and international forest policy promote sustainable use, acceptability and competitiveness of forests and wood; 4) Know-how on forest-based business and activities is diverse and responds to changing needs; 5) Administration is flexible, effective and customer-oriented; 6) Forestry is active and business-like; 7) Forest biodiversity and ecological and social sustainability are reinforced.Sustainable forest management denotes the management and use of forests and forest lands in a way that preserves their diversity, productivity, regenerative capacity and vitality as well as the opportunity to carry out now and in the future significant ecological, economic and social activities on local, national and global levels in a way that does not harm other ecosystems. The term sustainable forest management and use also includes forest conservation.Chapter 4 on Strategic project portfolio derived from the objectives – Strategy implementation lists strategic projects of the present National Forest Strategy adding up to a package geared towards facilitating a structural change in forest-based business and activities. Many projects in the structural package will have an impact on several different targets and strategic objectives. For example, improvement of electronic systems and more efficient utilisation of geographical information will promote active forest use, effective administration and the fostering of biodiversity. The projects are: A) Forest-related information and e-services of the future; B) Land use, planning and zoning in support of the forest-based business and activities; C) Statistics on the renewing forest-based business and activities; D) Development of active forest management, entry of timber to the market and forest ownership structure; E) New incentive schemes and resource-efficient forest management; F) Research strategy for the forest-based business and activities; G) Transport infrastructure in support of the forest-based business and activities; I) Nature management in commercial forests; J) Securing ecosystem services other than wood production and developing their markets; K) Appreciation of Finnish forests.The implementation and monitoring of the present Strategy will be coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Its implementation will also be promoted by the Forest Council, its working committee and steering groups set up around the strategic projects. Also several ministries will participate in the implementation of the Strategy. The Ministry of Employment and the Economy will assume special responsibility for developing the operating environment for forest-based business. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has a major role in infrastructure development, whereas the Ministry of Education and Culture will develop education, training and research. The Ministry of the Environment on the other hand is responsible for issues related to planning, environmental permits, biodiversity and water and climate protection. Trade policy associated with international forest issues and implementation of the Development Policy Guidelines for forest sector are within the remit of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.The Forest Council will annually review the implementation of strategy objectives and progress made in strategic projects. The National Forest Strategy indicators mainly measure impact. By analysing the indicators and objective achievement in relation to changes in the operating environment, the National Forest Strategy's impact can be evaluated in connection with the annual monitoring exercise. The most urgent projects in terms of achieving the National Forest Strategy objectives have been collected in the project portfolio. The needs to set up new projects will be assessed every year. If necessary, the Forest Council will propose new projects if the operating environment of forest-based business and activities indicates that an update of the project portfolio is needed in order to promote the achievement of National Forest Strategy objectives. External interim evaluations of the National Forest Strategy will also be produce as required.Chapter 3.1.3. dealing with EU and international forest policy lists good governance as one of its objectives arguing that development cooperation in forest sector contributes to poverty reduction, good governance of forests and fair and just distribution of the benefits. Also section 3.2 on Forest-based business and activities establishes that forest policy will support the renewal of the sector and its structures. Ensuring that competence based on research and expertise is an elemental part of good governance and the drafting and implementation of forest policy and decision-making will promote the renewal of forest-based business and activities and their structures.Questions concerning the financing of the strategic projects contained in the National Forest Strategy will be discussed and decided annually as part of the central government's spending limit and budget processes. The Strategy objectives will provide the groundwork for preparing central government financial plans and the spending limits and budgets that are part of them. The strategy will be implemented within this framework. If necessary, the financing policies will be discussed in the Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy. EU- project funding may also be applied to implement projects.The text consists of 7 chapters as follows: Forests offer solutions for human and societal needs (1); A changing operating environment (2); Strategic objectives, targets and indicators (3); Strategic project portfolio derived from the objectives – Strategy implementation (4); Organisation of strategy implementation and monitoring (5); Financing of the Strategy (6); Strategy impacts (7).
