Ruoveden may take over maintenance of Siikaneva trails

YLE reports that Ruoveden has started talks with Metsähallitus over an access agreement that could transfer maintenance responsibility for the Siikaneva hiking area, fully or partly, while Metsähallitus would retain ownership. The planned change concerns the upkeep of facilities used by visitors, including safety-critical boardwalks.

Ruoveden’s mayor Toni Leppänen says the negotiations started on Tuesday and are still preliminary, with the town being shown more detailed information about repair needs. He adds that the municipality is now assessing whether it has the resources to take on the responsibility, noting that no decisions have yet been made even though the idea has received tentative support.

The discussions come after Metsähallitus unexpectedly announced last week that it will close the hiking routes in the Siikaneva mire protection areas because the trail lengths are in dangerously poor condition and the agency will not repair them due to cost savings. Leppänen criticises shifting the burden to municipalities or private operators and hopes for more considered planning of state funding. Metsähallitus contact person Tiina Hakkarainen says boardwalks are typically replaced about every ten years, making maintenance costly—especially since the existing boards are near the end of their service life. A local tourism entrepreneur, Petri Ristiniemi, says he was shocked by the closure plans. Metsähallitus is also negotiating the transfer of maintenance for seven recreation sites nationwide, and Hakkarainen says such agreements are often made with municipalities or cities; she points to an example in Änäkäinen, where the city of Lieksa now maintains a lean-to, cooking shelter and other visitor facilities.