Weekly review
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1-7 March
Worth knowing! Upcoming and current events
An opportunity to register for Open Forest Days eventslvm.lv
From 11 February to 30 April, an international exhibition of illustrators' work, “The Magic Forest”, in the foyer of the Conference Centre at the National Library of Latvia
km.gov.lv · starptautiska ilustraciju izstade magiskais mezs
From 25 January to 22 March, every Saturday from 12.00 to 15.00 at “Skulmes” in Mālpils parish, the winter sculpture park “Snowmen” by sculptor Marta Liepiņa-Skulme
diena.lv · foto malpili atklats martas liepinas skulmes ziemas skulptur…
artursdimiters.com · sniegaviri
On the Līgatne nature trails, since December a new exhibition, “What Was Rustling in the Forest?”, has been open to visitors
daba.gov.lv · ligatnes dabas takas atklata jauna ekspozicija kas meza brik…
Until 28 March, the exhibition “Vārdene” at the “Latvijas valsts meži” Riga customer centre
lvm.lv · 7720 lvm rigas klientu centra atklata kudras figuru izstade…
21 March, International Day of Forests
fao.org · en
zemeunvalsts.lv · 21 marta starptautiska mezu diena
27-29 March, the 12th Baltic Theriological conference “Baltic mammals in the turbulence of anthropogenic tensions”
silava.lv · aicinam piedalities 12 baltijas teriologijas konference
10-11 April, the 67th international scientific conference of Daugavpils University
du.lv · aicinam pieteikties daugavpils universitates 67 starptautisk…
zemeunvalsts.lv · aprili rtu notiks baltijas koka buvniecibas forums 2025
norden.org · nominations are now open nordic council environment prize 20…
23 and 24 May, Latvian Forest Days 2025
latvijasmezadienas.lvm.lv
20-22 August, the international scientific conference organised by the Institute of Horticulture, “Sustainable Horticulture from Plant to Product: Challenges in a Temperate Climate – 2025”
darzkopibasinstituts.lv · conference
The transaction, which still requires approval from the Competition Council, is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025. Both parties have agreed to keep the terms of the deal confidential.
We fully support the need to create a favourable investment environment for producers in Latvia and, through new investment, to encourage the processing of the logs we have until now been exporting unprocessed. At the same time, we cannot support the approach: “All Latvian producers are equal, but some potential investors are more equal than others”.
If substantial areas of forest are withdrawn from economic use in a given region, that means smaller logging volumes and less work for those employed in the sector, as well as fewer wood resources for local timber processors — so staff numbers will have to be cut, and there will be less tax revenue for the state and the municipality.
delfi.lv · kuri ir lielakie privata kapitala meza zemju ipasnieki latvi…
“Lursoft IT” is examining who the largest owners of forest land in Latvia are, analysing data on forest land owned by private capital companies (disregarding other forms of ownership or contractual relations). The study looks at the real estate holdings of individual Latvian companies, without taking into account the links between Latvian-registered companies at owner level, that is, the real estate of entire corporate groups.
On the official side
daba.gov.lv · ipasi aizsargajamas dabas teritorijas saksies mezsaimniecisk…
The Nature Conservation Agency reminds the public that from 15 March to 31 July a ban on forestry activity is in force in specially protected nature territories throughout Latvia. During this period, only forest fire prevention and firefighting measures are permitted, along with the felling and removal of hazardous trees.
daba.gov.lv · top zinojums par zivju sugu aizsardzibas stavokli latvija 20…
... at the end of 2024, approval was given to the project of the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment “BIOR”, “Preparation of the report on the conservation status of fish species in Latvia (2019-2024)”
This time the podcast guest is Māris Liopa. We talk about the deer question, possible solutions for reducing damage, and whether there are any good examples. About building fences, about what hunters can do, about the green deal and many other issues.
About the environment
vaad.gov.lv · latvijas lauksaimnieciba izmantojamas augsnes stavoklis 0
Based on data from the agrochemical soil survey carried out by the State Plant Protection Service between 2021 and 2024, information has been compiled on the condition of Latvia's agricultural land.
diena.lv · instruments labakiem vides projektiem 14332102
Nature conservation and climate neutrality are among the European Union's (EU) most important goals. Regional development also matters to the EU, in order to raise residents' quality of life and the competitiveness of the regions. It is essential that these various goals are compatible with one another. To put it figuratively, it would be pointless to fill in one hole while digging another right beside it.
tvnet.lv · kuldiga taps divus kilometrus gara pastaigu taka izmaksas 67…
A construction contract was signed this week providing for the building of the trail and the improvement of the area — installing lighting, viewpoints and rest areas that will allow visitors to appreciate the beauty of the Venta valley, as well as CCTV cameras for security.
nra.lv · 483966 latgales zoodarzs piedava virtualo celojumu pa purva…
The Latgale wetland biodiversity park is a unique place in the Esplanāde neighbourhood of the city of Daugavpils, home to rare and protected animal and plant species.
liepajniekiem.lv · kuldiga par 676 659 eiro taps divus kilometrus gara pastaigu…
A two-kilometre walking trail will be built in Kuldīga at a cost of 676,659 euros...
nra.lv · 484296 ilgtspejiga meza noslepums slepjas meza izcirsanas pr…
A clear-cut is a stage in the forest management cycle where final felling has recently been carried out and where the forest will soon be regenerated, either by planting or by allowing natural regeneration. If all goes as planned and as the laws of nature dictate, then within a few years a healthy young stand will be flourishing on the site of the clear-cut.
diena.lv · bebru dambis trauceklis vai dabas sastavdala 14331230
Beaver dams, ponds and sometimes burrows are the structures that make beaver activity a matter of dispute. Gnawed and withered trees cause material losses. Agricultural land is sometimes flooded.
nra.lv · 484338 vacija gatavojas kratities vala no zala kursa vazam
At present Germany is unlikely to abandon its current climate policy overnight, although adjustments to it are possible. Even so, there is no shortage of views that maintaining the status quo may soon provoke, with double the force, a reluctance to pursue excessive climate targets.
About the economy
ltrk.lv · ltrk si briza geopolitiskajos apstaklos ierastais nesteidzig…
First — find what is superfluous, outdated and inefficient within existing state budget funds and redirect it to defence. Second — free businesses from unnecessary ballast and restrictions, so that the tax revenue generated by economic growth can be channelled into defence.
masoc.lv · rupniecibas gaisma stobra gala
Food processing and wood processing are doing well — sectors now often grouped together under the label of the bioeconomy. It is debatable whether these sectors really form a single whole; their resources, skills, technologies and markets inhabit very separate worlds. The two sectors are strategic competitors for land resources and labour rather than partners.
zemeunvalsts.lv · asv importa tarifu haoss vai globalaja ekonomika gaidama rec…
The introduction of import tariffs and countries' responses to them may weaken global economic growth and push up price levels, especially for US consumers themselves. But what hampers growth most is uncertainty. Manufacturers' sentiment in the US has remained moderately positive since the start of the year, even though businesses are increasingly worried about the lack of clarity over the new Trump administration's tariff policy.
zemeunvalsts.lv · somijas ekonomists asv tarifu ietekme uz latvijas eksportu b…
The pace of Latvia's economic growth is accelerating after prolonged stagnation. Risks to growth nevertheless remain, particularly in the area of trade policy. Although the direct impact of US customs tariffs on Latvian exports is still limited — they affect only a small share of GDP — broader uncertainty in world trade could have more serious consequences.
tvnet.lv · ica gruppen pardod rimi baltic
The Swedish group “ICA Gruppen” is selling the retailer “Rimi Baltic” to the Danish retail company “Salling Group”, according to a statement published by the group.
db.lv · pirmais latvijas lauksaimniecibas uznemums ir startejis birz…
Bonds issued by the Latvian company LATRAPS have been admitted to the Baltic First North market of the Nasdaq Riga exchange as of 5 March.
lsm.lv · 04.03.2025 latvijas darzkopji bazijas par krievijas gurku no…
A consignment of Russian cucumbers found to contain high levels of pesticides has been detained in Poland. The consignment has been sent back to its country of origin. Meanwhile, Latvian producers are worried that cucumbers from the aggressor state could end up on the Latvian market and in its shops. At present, imports of vegetables from Russia and Belarus are banned in Latvia, but they are not banned in Poland and other European Union countries.
...we need to halt any activities which, in the light of today's geopolitical situation, we can see will in six months or a year become obstacles to reaching these goals, if only in relation to increasing the defence budget...
Abroad in brief
zemeunvalsts.lv · kokmaterialu un zagmaterialu importa radito draudu noversana…
The United States faces a significant vulnerability in its timber supply chain, created by the dumping of imported timber, sawn goods and derived products onto the United States market.
zemeunvalsts.lv · pilnigs haoss trampa tarifi cel kokmaterialu cenas lidz covi…
Every day there are new interpretations of what Trump will do next. The whole timber industry does not know what to do. We want to know what the rules of the game are. At the moment it is complete chaos.
lmsp.lv · cenas kaps strauji asv noteiktie nodokli kanadas zagmaterial…
A few hours after US President Donald Trump repeated his pledge to impose a 25% customs tariff worth 3 billion US dollars on Canadian sawn timber, the US Department of Commerce indicated that, under the plan (which could destroy Canada's softwood industry), duties on softwood could rise from 15% to more than 27%.
lmsp.lv · krievijas koksnes trukums transporta uznemumi gatavojas sank…
However, new reports from Russia suggest that transport companies have already begun cutting their costs in preparation for Western companies re-entering the Russian market once Russia signs a truce with Ukraine, which would also lead to sanctions being lifted.
lmsp.lv
So far, however, the uptake of forest certification worldwide has been very uneven, both in the absolute number of certified hectares and as a percentage of a country's total forest area (certification density). Despite the original aim of protecting tropical forests, most of the world's certified forests (85%) are currently in temperate and boreal regions of Europe and North America.
zemeunvalsts.lv · aptauja liecina ka franci un vaciesi neatbalsta aizsardzibas…
Preliminary opinion polls in Western Europe indicate that most French and German people want either to keep defence spending at its current level or even to reduce it. Others want to increase spending on social welfare, posing very difficult questions for policymakers.
zemeunvalsts.lv · klimatam labveligi vai tomer ne
The Finnish company Hiiliporssi Oy (Carbon Exchange) promises that restoring peatlands will have a favourable effect on the climate. A study by Luke (the Natural Resources Institute Finland), on the other hand, found that restoring peatlands contributes to climate warming. Both claims are true, but they are assessed over different time periods.
Miscellaneous
lsm.lv · 02.03.2025 piepildit 20 gadus lolotu ideju ligatne durvis ve…
By the Lejaslīgatne pond, in a former paper mill, the Līgatne Bicycle Museum is preparing to open its first tourist season. Among the exhibits gathered over 20 years, one bicycle stands out — a machine presented almost a century ago to Latvian cycling champion Arvīds Immermanis for his third consecutive victory in the “Unity Race”.
satori.lv · padomju mantojums slogs vai resurss zimols latvija
High-ranking politicians have expressed regret that warnings from the Baltic, Central and Eastern Europe about Russia's aggressive nature went unheeded. “We should have listened to the voices inside our Union — in Poland, in the Baltics and across Central and Eastern Europe,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in September 2022, adding that “they have been telling us for years that Putin would not stop”.
lsm.lv · 04.03.2025 rudbarzos tomer neveidos kadetu skolu mekles citu…
There will not be a cadet school in Rudbārži after all — adapting the manor is said to be too expensive, so another site will be sought in Kurzeme. What is more, two cadet schools will be set up in Latvia — the second will be in Latgale.
lsm.lv · 05.03.2025 kaimini apbrino renovetu koka daudzdzivoklu namu…
Until now we have been more used to the renovation and insulation of blocks of flats built in the Soviet era, or of wooden buildings with one or only a few owners. Yet quite a number of flats in Riga are also in wooden houses.
delfi.lv · kaveta augsamcelsanas fragmenti no valodnieces ievas zuicena…
Social integration cannot be achieved through language learning alone, as the authors of the social integration programme naively hoped. For members of society to feel united and cohesive, everyone needs to share a common perception of values and a common understanding of historical events. And above all — a sense of loyalty to and respect for the Latvian state and its founding people.
lasi.lv · zime gatis sluka sveiciens straumes komandai
diena.lv · kakis tiek pie oskara 14332242
lasi.lv · zime gatis sluka politiskais cirks
diena.lv · leto cenu hipnoze 14332309