The number of forest owners residing in cities is growing steadily. Already a quarter of those in possession of woodland live in cities. In 1999 the corresponding figure was 19 percent.
Simultaneously the number of owners living in the countryside "next to their forests" is declining in the same proportion.
The pensioners are still the largest group of forest owners, and their share of individuals in possession of forests will keep growing for a little while longer. The big change comes when the possession of forests is transferred to the next generation.
"The next larger shift will take place in the next 10-20 years", estimates the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) research manager Marko Mäki-Hakola.
The transferral of ownership to a younger generation is already manifesting itself in forestry associations.
"There may be less independent initiative than before, when the owners lived in the countryside and took care of the forestry work and the felling by themselves", explains managing director Marja Kalpio from the service unit of the Forest Management Associations.
"More services are required from the Forest Management Associations. Induction courses for new forest owners have been extremely popular. The demand for information is great and it will surely increase in the future", Kalpio reckons.
Finland has more than 600,000 forest owners and some 320,000 woodland estates that are over five hectares in size.
The average age of a forest owner is 59.
Half of the forest owners live on their forest estates.
