Dear TreeHugging Friends,
For over ten years, HaliPuu has been our way of sharing the forest.
It’s where we make our living and invite people from all over the world to slow down, to breathe clean air and feel the embrace of trees. This forest is our home, a safe harbour for our family since after the Second World War. For more than a decade, we have opened it to guests seeking its silence and peace.
Now, a winter driving centre is being planned in the neighbouring forest area. The company behind it, Icecube Levi Oy, is applying for permits to build multiple winter driving tracks that would operate during the season.
For us, this is not only about abstract noise models or theoretical impact, but about the lived experience of the forest and the conditions our livelihood depends on. Continuous winter driving activity next to HaliPuu would change the soundscape and the experience of the forest. And because our work is built around silence, presence and nature connection, sound matters. A lot.
Please remember: we are not against other businesses. Levi is built on entrepreneurship, and we respect that deeply. We have even discussed ideas that might reduce impacts, for example, quieter solutions such as fully electric vehicles. We believe responsible development can coexist with respect for nature and local livelihoods.
The final decision will be made by the Municipality of Kittilä and the authorities. As neighbouring entrepreneurs whose livelihood depends on maintaining a peaceful forest environment, we have participated in the official processes available to us under Finnish law, as any neighbouring business has the right to do.
At its heart, this is about how fragile northern nature, local livelihoods and development are balanced. These are not simple questions. They deserve careful thought.
We will continue to share updates as the process moves forward. If you wish to form your own view, the permit documents are publicly available, and can be requested from the Municipality of Kittilä through their official registry (kirjaamo).. Everyone has the right to follow the process and participate as the law allows.
For now, our forest is still here.
The trees are standing.
The grouse will drum their wings in spring.
The snow will still glitter in winter.
And we remain here, caring for this forest and welcoming those who wish to experience its quiet.
With warmth from the forest,
Riitta, Steffan and the HaliPuu family 🌲
