Transforming peat production areas in North Ostrobothnia into multi-objective wetlands 2025-2026 – POPKA 2
The POPKA 2 project (J11409) complements the Finnish Game Management Foundation’s restoration of decommissioned peatland areas project, which started in 2024. The POPKA 2 project complements the POPKA restoration project with 3 additional sites in Kuusamo, Muhos and Siikalatva. On this page you will find information on the objectives, progress and areas of the project.
POPKA 2 – project objectives
The project aims to reclaim around 55 hectares of former peatland (see map at the bottom of the page) as wetlands and wetland habitats by redirecting water and damming the peatland to retain water in a controlled way, so that otherwise carbon-emitting drained areas can be rewetted as efficiently as possible. The project sites will also seek to divert off-site waters as far as possible through on-site reservoirs and wet peat fields to effectively filter catchment waters. The project’s objectives support a number of sub-objectives such as increasing biodiversity, reducing carbon emissions and halting climate change, and protecting water.
Valkianeva, Siikalatva. Photo by Antero Kujala
Basic information about the project
Project period 18.3.2025-31.12.2026
The project has a budget of 221293 euros and is made possible by JTF funding from the Economic Development Centre of North Ostrobothnia.
POPKA 2 project landowners are both individuals and companies
Landowners and site users (hunting clubs) agree, as part of the restoration conditions, to maintain the site as an open and functional habitat, to remove small predators from the site and to keep hunting harvest numbers low.
Project sites:
Kapustasuo, Kuusamo
Valkianeva, Siikalatva
Pehkeensuo, Muhos
Progress of the project
- For the POPKA 2 project sites in Kapustasuo, a wetland plan was ready (Luontovarma Oy), while the design work for Siikalatva and Valkianeva was tendered in August 2025.Kosteikkomaailma tms / Juha Siekkinen is responsible for the target plans for Siikalatva and Valkianeva.
- The Kapustasuo soilwork were tendered in summer 2025 and the soilwork started in November 2025. The Kapustasuo soilwork will continue in spring 2026.
- The soilwork for Siikalatva and Valkianeva will be put out to tender after the completion of the target plans in April 2026 and the soilwork will start in late summer 2026.
