Compiling a management plan for the newly established Hossa National Park started in early 2018. An important part of the process is to engage local and regional authorities, associations and NGO’s to support the successful delivery of the management plan. 16 stakeholders were invited, and ten of them attended a meeting to discuss the project. These stakeholders form a working group of experts alongside the Metsähallitus management plan working group.
Six Metsähallitus Parks&Wildlife (PWF) staff took part to present their field of expertise and to answer questions. The main aim was to inform the attendees of the start and the progress of the work and to gather ideas and opinions.
Organising such stakeholder meetings in connection with management planning is a rule within PWF. Another meeting will be organized later in autumn, once the work has progressed more. At that point, stakeholders, authorities and the public will be asked to comment on the draft version of the management plan. It is emphasized that PWF wishes communication to be continuous and comments are welcome at any point of the planning process.
The meeting started by a presentation on the process of management planning in Metsähallitus with an insight to the topics of the plan. PWF staff presented the contents of the first chapter, that is the current status of the National Park, from their respective perspective: nature conservation, cultural heritage, recreation and tourism, fishing and hunting.
Issues connected with reindeer husbandry, progamme services, road maintenance and the lack of accommodation were discussed in length.
The attendees of the meeting were mostly in agreement and no bigger problems were raised. Attention will have to be given to reindeer husbandry if snow mobile tracks are moved from their current location. Growing visitor numbers require careful planning of path building and of maintenance of infrastructure in the park, such as fire places, to ensure sustainable use. More accommodation space will most probably start to appear in the Hossa area due to the planning process just outside the National Park.