Minister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen has proposed areas in Suomussalmi and Kuusamo in north-eastern Finland to be designated as the commemorative national park for Finland’s 100th year of independence 2017. Establishing a national park was also one of the key projects in the current government programme.
The surface area of the national park in Hossa and Moilasenvaara in Suomussalmi and Julma-Ölkky in Kuusamo is about 11 000 hectares. The areas are owned by the State of Finland and they are included in the Natura 2000 network.
The Hossa area is a mosaic of heath forest ridges with pines, small rivers and lakes with crystal-clear water, kettle ponds and kettle bogs. The general appearance is barren, with light in abundance.
