FORESTS IN LATVIA, FORESTS IN EUROPE
In Latvia, approximately half of the forests (50 %) are owned by the state, but the others are owned by the private owners and enterprises (48 %), and local governments (2 %) (According to the data of State Forest Service at the beginning of 2010).
The forests under the ownership of the state are being managed by the institutions of such ministries: the Ministry of the Environmental protection and Regional development, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education and Science, and Ministry of Agriculture. The territories of the state forest property, where the main aim of management is nature protection – forests in the National parks and strict nature reserves, are managed by the institutions of the Ministry of Environmental protection and regional development (administrations of protected areas).
The area of such territories is 59.1 thousands ha or 2 % of the total forest area. Scientific research forests, the main aim of management of which is to ensure scientific research continuity, are managed by the Forest Research Station (institution of the State Forest Service, which, for its part, is supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture). The area of such territories is 28.9 thousands ha or 1 % of the total forest area. For its part, the state forest property, the main aim of management of which is to ensure the implementation of commercial interests, is managed by the Joint Stock Company “Latvijas Valsts Meži” (“Latvian State Forests” or LVM). The stockholder is the Ministry of Agriculture. LVM ensures management and administration over 1.62 million ha of land including 1.4 million ha of forests (47 % of the total forest area). LVM performs forest management over the whole rotation cycle, including the sales of timber. The institutions of the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as institutions of the Ministry of Defence are managing comparatively small areas of forests under the ownership of the state.
FFrom local governments the largest forest owner is Riga city council, to which ~ 63 thousands ha of forests belong, which are managed by the limited company “Rīgas Meži” (Riga forests).
Sustainable development in the forest sector is guaranteed by the Forest Law and subordinate regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers, which define norms related to the duties of forest owners when they manage their properties. The Forest Law also determine that natural persons have the right of access and free movement in a state or a local government forest, if normative acts do not limit it. Access and free movement of natural persons in other forests may be restricted by the owner or the lawful possessor of the forest.
