Logging | The police are investigating: Stora Enso’s logging area could have been a forest of endangered flying squirrels

Police has started a preliminary investigation into logging by the forest company Stora Enso in Äänekoski. The preliminary investigation concerns logging in the Sikopuro area, where flying squirrels have been observed.

The preliminary investigation was reported in the Keskinen Suomen liito-oravayhdistys ry press release. The police started a preliminary investigation after the president of the association Sami Upper Karjanmaa had filed a criminal complaint about logging.

Crime Commissioner Veli-Pekka Välisaari confirms that the crime report has been recorded under the heading nature conservation crime. It concerns fellings made in April of the current year.

Välisaari acts as the head of the investigation in the case. According to him, the investigation is in the early stages.

“We are finding out what kind of logging has been done in the area and how they have affected the flying squirrels that are apparently staying in the area,” says Välisaari.

According to him, the issues of responsibility are also under investigation, i.e. whether the people carrying out the felling were aware of flying squirrels.

So far According to Välisaari, no one has been named as a suspect.

The police have requested a statement about the suspected crime from the Ely center in Central Finland.

Logging was done according to the flying squirrel association Yli-Karjanmaa in April, after which he was able to inspect the area himself. At that time, Yli-Karjanmaa found flying squirrel papans and nest trees next to the logging area.

“This is a sign that there may have been flying squirrels in the area during their breeding season. Logging has significantly reduced the habitat suitable for the flying squirrel and weakened its circle of life, contrary to the law,” says Yli-Karjanmaa.

According to Yli-Karjanmaa, the suspicion of a crime is related, among other things, to the fact that Central Finland’s Ely Center had mandated an inspection of logging areas and its surroundings well in advance of logging. According to Yli-Karjanmaa, however, this had not been done.

Stora Enson director of communications Ingrid Peura told Helsingin Sanomat on Monday that the company is not aware of a preliminary investigation regarding Sikopuro in Äänekoski.

The endangered flying squirrel is protected based on the EU Habitats Directive and the Finnish Nature Conservation Act. Destruction and weakening of its breeding and resting places is prohibited.

According to the Finnish Nature Conservation Union logging is the flying squirrel’s biggest threat.

He was the first to tell about it Over.