Defence Forces appeal gravel permit denial over butterfly survey
Tuesday 8th September 2026 on 08:45 in
Finland
Finland’s Defence Forces has appealed a decision rejecting its application to expand a sand and gravel extraction area in Kouvola because the application lacked a nature survey, Yle reports.
The Karelian Brigade, a military unit, had applied for a new permit to extract and crush earth materials at the Vääränharju gravel area in the Lipiälä village. The site lies entirely within the Karelian Brigade’s garrison grounds at the Pahkajärvi training area. The Finnish state owns the land, which is administered by Metsähallitus.
The Defence Forces uses the material for roads at the garrison and training areas, firing ranges, protective structures and fortifications.
Kouvola’s technical committee’s permit division rejected the application in June because it did not include a nature survey. The Southeast Finland ELY Centre, a regional authority, had asked the Defence Forces to carry out the survey after several sightings of the marsh fritillary near the area.
The marsh fritillary is a species requiring strict protection under European Union rules. Its breeding and resting places may not be destroyed or degraded under Finland’s Nature Conservation Act. The species is also protected, although it is typical and fairly common in Southeast Finland.
The Defence Forces considers the decision unreasonable and says it cannot carry out the survey because it could lead to irreversible restrictions on the area.
The permit division says there is no need to grant the Defence Forces an exemption during the permit process because exceptional circumstances are not currently in force in Finland. It also says a nature survey would not necessarily automatically lead to restrictions.
The Defence Forces has held a permit since December 2022 to extract earth materials and crush gravel and rock with a mobile crushing plant. The current permit is valid until December 2032, but the amount authorised under it has already been used.
The new application sought a 10-year permit, an expansion of the extraction area, and permission to quarry and crush bedrock.
The Vaasa Administrative Court has requested a statement from the permit division on the appeal. The division will decide on its statement on Wednesday and plans to recommend that the appeal be rejected.