21st century, all of Metsähallitus' commercial forests were included in the PEFC forest certification scheme. From 1997 to 2000, comprehensive natural resource plans, which are renewed regularly, were drawn up for all state-owned land and water areas. The participatory, co-operative and open practices that were drawn up at Metsähallitus in the 1990s are complied with in the natural resource planning process. Nature conservation and recreational services The first forests spared from fellings and the first ‘nature parks’ on Metsähallitus’ lands were established as early as in the beginning of the 1900s. These areas, among them the Pallas-Ounastunturi and Pyhähäkki areas, were preserved for research purposes as well as for posterity. The first official record on establishing a national park can be found in a 1910 report of the Forest Conservation Commission. The first statutory national parks, however, were not formed until 1938. These parks, established in state lands, were defined under the administration of the Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla). In 1956, seventeen national and nature parks were established in Metsähallitus’ lands. A second significant expansion to the conservation area network was carried out in 1982, when a total of 16 new national and nature parks were created. Metla's national parks and its strict nature reserves, excluding the Koli National Park and the Malla and Vesijako nature reserves, were transferred to the ownership of Metsähallitus in 1992. Since the 1970s, the development of Finland's conservation area network has been based on conservation programmes aimed at preserving, for example, mires, herb-rich forests, old-growth forests and shore areas. A significant amount of the programme sites are located in areas owned by Metsähallitus. Metsähallitus currently administers a total of 480 statutory nature conservation areas covering a combined area of close to 15,000 km2. The wilderness areas of Lapland, which are of equal size, are also important in terms of nature conservation. Most of Metsähallitus’ conservation sites are a part of the EU's Natura 2000 network. Hiking became so popular after World War II that campsites with campfires, firewood and latrines were a necessity. In the 1970s Metsähallitus focused special attention on expanding the existing network of wilderness huts. The first official hiking areas in accordance with Finland's Outdoor Recreation Act were established in 1979 in Kylmäluoma and Hossa. There are currently seven national hiking areas in the country. The planning of national park management and utilisation began in 1974 with a national park