Metsähallitus (Swedish: Forststyrelsen, Northern Sami: Meahciráđđehus, "the (Finnish) Forest Administration") is a state-owned enterprise in Finland.
Until that time, forests were mainly used for slash-and-burn agriculture and to produce wood tar, an important export product in those days.
Tar burning, however, began to dwindle in the beginning of the 19th century, while at the same time the needs of the sawmilling industry increased.
Its area of operations covered state lands that were named crown parks, but monitoring private forestry, at least nominally, was also a part of the forest management institution's tasks.
The focus of the forest industry gradually switched from sawmilling to paper and board production, which, in turn, led to an increase in the use of pulpwood.
[citation needed] During World War II, Metsähallitus had the uncharacteristic task of producing, among other things, charcoal and chopped firewood for wood-gas modified vehicles.
In the 1960s and 1970s wood production received a significant amount of attention, in addition to intensive soil cultivation, sapling stand improvement and fertilisation.
The predominant mindset of wood production did, indeed, change in the 1990s, focusing more on multiple objectives and the ecologically, socially and economically sustainable use of forests.
Metsähallitus’ environmental system based on the ISO 14001 standard was certified in 1998, and has further increased the monitoring and continuous development of activities.
[citation needed] The participatory, co-operative and open practices that were drawn up at Metsähallitus in the 1990s are complied with in the natural resource planning process.
[citation needed] The first official record on establishing a national park can be found in a 1910 report of the Forest Conservation Commission.
Building up of the service offering for hikers, such as routes, lean-tos and campfire sites, began in 1978 according to the first management and utilisation plans.
National parks and a number of other nature conservation areas today offer hiking and recreational possibilities across the country.
The Natural Heritage Services business unit, an ever-expanding field of activity, received its own regional organisation in 1992.