Bilden visar fem tjocka böcker med röda omslag sida vid sida. De innehåller 100 000 underskrifter.

Tribute to the longest serving Finnish president

The founding of the Urho Kekkonen National Park was a major tribute to a great Finnish statesman. The long battle on founding the National Park – nearly 20 years – also reflects the life's work of the longest-serving President of Finland. The eventful story preceding the establishment of Urho Kekkonen National started in the 1950s.

Extracts from the history of the park’s establishment

In the late 1950s, plans to exploit the forest resources of Inari more intensively were afoot. At that time, logging was also planned in the forests of Saariselkä.

1958 A book titled ‘Lumikuru’ was published. This was this first book by Kullervo Kemppinen, in which the author proposes that Koilliskaira should be protected 25 years before Urho Kekkonen National Park was founded.

The river mouth with remnants of an old wooden dam. In the background, a lake with fells rising on its shore.

Remnants of the old dam at the river mouth of Lake Luirojärvi. The dam was built for floating logs from the forests of Koilliskaira.

A map showing the location of the old logging road in red.

The logging road from the Lutto River to the Luiro River is marked in red on the map.

Proposals to protect the area

1961 Proposals to protect the area and establish a national park in Eastern Lapland were made by the Finnish Tourist Association, Suomen Latu and the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. These organisations asked Metsähallitus to preserve Saariselkä as an unlogged wilderness.

1961 Väinö Hyhkö, Regional Forester of Ylikemi management area, proposed the establishment of an Eastern Lapland National Park.

1961 The Border Guard submitted a proposal on preserving Nuorttijoki canyon from logging.

1964 Lappi reindeer herding co-operative asked Metsähallitus to protect from logging an important pasture for its reindeer in the Suomujoki River valley to make up for pastures drowned under Lokka reservoir and fragmented by tourism.

Reindeer in a fence. The sun shines obliquely during the summer night.

Urho Kekkonen National Park has great significance for local reindeer herding. Reindeer in a fence during the calf marking season.

Lokan tekoaltaan rakentaminen alkoi

V. 1966 Construction of Lokka reservoir began. Whole villages were submerged under Lokka and Porttipahta reservoirs, including Korvanen, Mutenia, Riesto and Madetkoski. 560 residents, who had lived from reindeer husbandry, livestock farming and fishing, had to move away. 630km² of land was left under the reservoirs, of which forestland accounted for 230 km², fields 260 ha, and summer pastures for reindeer for another large area.

A large hayfield by the lake, with gray buildings on its edge. A single, uniformly shaped spruce grows in the field. Behind the lake are fells.

Lokka Reservoir photographed from Mutenia. In the background, the Nattastunturit of Sompio Nature Strict Reserve are visible.

Proposal for establishing Koilliskaira National Park in honor of the 80th birthday of the President of the Republic

1968 Metsähallitus made its decision: the most important parts of Saariselkä and the Jaurijoki and Nuorttijoki Rivers would not be logged.

1971 The Finnish Nature Association launched its Koilliskaira project, and 100,000 supporters signed its petition. The first signatory was Urho Kekkonen, President of the Republic.

1972 Metsähallitus’ Koilliskaira Committee proposed the establishment of an extensive protected area.

1978 The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry its initiative concerning the establishment of Koilliskaira National Park to celebrate the 80th birthday of the President of the Republic on 3 September 1980.

1979 The municipality of Sodankylä and Sodankylä Nature Conservation Association set up a working group to prepare a proposal for Koilliskaira National Park.
On 2 September 1980, the Government adopted a resolution on establishing Urho Kekkonen National Park.

1981 A committee planning Urho Kekkonen National Park submitted its report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on 18 March.

1982 A government proposal on Act on Urho Kekkonen National Park was submitted to Parliament.

Inside cover of a citizen petition briefly explaining why a national park should be established.

Front page of the ‘Koilliskaira as a National Park citizen petition.

Storm Mauri

V. 1982 Storm Mauri blew over trees on 22 September 1982 and the harvesting of windfalls from Vieriharju raised a heated debate.

A newspaper clipping reporting that trees felled by the storm will be left in the national park.

There was once lively debate about the fate of these windthrows.

Urho Kekkonen National Park establishment

1982 Parliament adopted the act unanimously on 21 December 1982, voting on the wording of the report.

1983 The Act and Decree on Urho Kekkonen National Park were adopted on 4 March 1983 and entered into force on 1 May 1983.

A man is painting a white ring on a pine tree, another man is attaching the national park emblem to the tree. In the background, a third man is standing and watching.

Marking the boundaries of the national park.