PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Rokua, an area with a rich natural environment in the northern part of Ostrobothnia, which includes a Natura 2000 site, attracts considerable numbers of tourists. However, the natural environment, mostly comprised of barren forests, cannot support large numbers of tourists whilst still remaining attractive and ‘natural’. The lichen heaths are particularly vulnerable to damage. When vegetation protecting the ground surface is damaged, rain and wind begin to drive the sand on the hills. This causes severe erosion. In order to prevent erosion and other environmental damage in Rokua, and in northern areas in general, special attention must be paid to the environmental capacity. Recovery is an extremely slow process. Natural conditions in Rokua have been deteriorating as a consequence of several factors related to activities such as tourism, area planning, construction and forestry. The impact of these economic activities usually conflicts with conservation objectives unless the latter are taken into consideration at an early stage of the planning process. The seasonal nature of tourism in the area also puts additional pressure on the environment due to short peaks in activity.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the ‘ROKUA LIFE’ project was to seek ways to preserve the environment and maintain employment levels in the region. More generally, the project sought to determine how a tourist resort located in the north of Europe could operate on an ecologically sustainable basis while preserving and developing the area’s economic vitality. The project was divided into the following tasks: elaboration of the administrative scheme; control and guidance on environmental protection; development of sustainable tourism and guidelines on construction activities; ecological business strategies and eco-design products; and promotion of employment and dissemination.
RESULTS
The ‘ROKUA LIFE’ project met its objectives, helping to significantly further the implementation of ecologically-sound tourism in the Rokua area. The project illustrated that vulnerable nature areas and commercial tourism activities can both be developed in a sustainable way provided that certain rules and good practices are developed and respected. Notably, the project identified and demonstrated different types of models for repairing damage that has already been done to the landscape and for preventing new damage. Numerous studies were completed and several landscaping and restoration schemes were carried out. A number of erosion-prevention techniques were tested, including the transplantation of local vegetation, sowing seeds of native plants, and the addition of peat to soil. Although good results were achieved, they were labour-intensive and thus costly. Significantly, the work completed by the LIFE team created the basis for more extensive work on restoring landscape damage – a 2005-2007 project being implemented jointly by the municipalities of Rokua and the Northern Ostrobothnia Environmental Centre. Concerning the development of ‘eco-friendly business strategies and eco-design products’, the project successfully developed innovative methods for (1) preserving wood with pine oil and (2) stripping bark using high pressure water. 1) Preserving wood with pine oil is an alternative to other industrial preservation methods such as salt impregnation, which is used to extend the life of wood products. Pine oil is mainly suitable for preserving outdoor furnishings. It is eco-friendly as it is derived as a by-product of pulp production and decomposes completely. 2) The “bast wood” technique involves a method of peeling the bark of a tree using high pressure water. This brings out the light-coloured, smooth natural surface under the actual bark. The surface lasts longer than the surface of wood peeled with the normal chemical-peeling method because the natural protective surface is not damaged. Regarding the creation of employment in the tourism sector, the results of the project were not particularly significant. However, the beneficiary foresaw some job opportunities in organising training activities in the repair of soil damages and erosion. Finally, from a technical point-of-view, a large number of reports and papers were delivered, including some 29 technical reports/working papers published in Finnish. A website was launched and other dissemination tools included a project DVD and a comprehensive environmental handbook. Information at local and regional levels (press conferences, seminars and training events, website, coverage in newspaper, TV, and radio, etc.) was also successfully disseminated.
