Industry
https://www.zm.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/ekonomiskas-sadarbibas-un-attistibas-organizacijas-oecd-misijas-eksperti-iepazist-meza-nozari-latvija
The purpose of the mission is to obtain in-depth information about Latvia's forestry sector and related industries. The experts are visiting Latvia under an agreement concluded between the Ministry of Agriculture and the OECD Secretariat to carry out a study on the resilience of the forestry sector and its contribution to the bioeconomy.
https://www.db.lv/zinas/aca-timber-peksna-atkapsanas-no-ilgtermina-ligumiem-raditu-risku-investiciju-videi-latvija-525259
The principle of legitimate expectations means that companies and investors have the right to rely on the lawfulness and consistency of decisions taken by state institutions, particularly in cases where substantial investments are made and long-term commitments entered into on the basis of those decisions.
https://mezaipasnieki.lv/lv/recenzija-rakstam-skaitli-kas-veido-bilanci-ka-aprekina-siltumnicefekta-gazu-emisijas-un-vai-ir
Yes, data can always be better. But unfortunately, public and political understanding is often such that if the results are unsatisfactory, the blame is assumed to lie with the science or with whoever did the calculations. If politics starts to determine what is right or wrong in the empirical data integrated into the inventory and in the science itself, the problems will only get worse.
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/ekonomika/16.02.2026-tukss-papirs-pat-darijumam-reizi-muza-ari-mezu-ipasnieki-pel-birokratiju.a634779/
Forest owners who sell forest worth at least 50 thousand euros must register in the value added tax register as persons carrying out economic activity. This must be done even if such a transaction takes place only once.
https://tv3.lv/zinas/latvija/kokrupnieku-skandals-ministrijas-atbildibu-saistiba-ar-palidzibu-nozarei-novel-viena-otrai/
The Ministry of Agriculture has, however, consistently stressed that the assistance provided to timber producers is not to be regarded as state aid at all, so at the Ministry of Finance they simply throw up their hands over this. They even call it misleading the public.
https://www.lbtu.lv/lv/raksts/2026-02-16/berza-saplaksnis-drosibai-un-aizsardzibai
A significant advantage is speed and simplicity. The furniture can be assembled in a matter of minutes, without tools, and it is designed to be dismantled and reassembled many times over. Unassembled, the components take up little space, which is critically important for storing state reserves and deploying them at short notice.
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7873-uzsakti-parbuves-darbi-tiltam-par-svetupi
The bridge over the Svētupe is important for the management of the “Ērgļu purvs” forest tract, as it provides the only access to a forest tract of more than 1000 ha, including the area of two peat extraction sites.
https://www.apollo.lv/8415110/kur-citiem-izvele-mums-stingri-regulejumi
In Latvia the regulatory framework is very restrictive, because, for example, many requirements that are laid down in Latvia by laws and regulations are applied in the Scandinavian countries only if forest owners voluntarily wish to undergo forest certification...
https://tv3.lv/dzivesstils/darzs-un-maja/no-skeldas-lidz-skaidu-plaksnem-lukojam-ka-svetku-eglites-iegust-otro-dzivi/
This winter, because of the frost, there is less unsorted construction waste, so there is more time left for sorting Christmas trees. The many Christmas trees have caused no difficulties whatsoever for the processing company.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_XIIDl3Vzw
Forest News #23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iNKx1IMheM
Forest News #24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QhbBOPl3Tk
Forest News #25
Worth knowing! Upcoming and current events
Until 22 February (5 p.m.) we invite you to vote for the European Tree of the Year, supporting the Elku Lime Tree of Valdemārpils
https://www.zemeunvalsts.lv/eiropas-gada-koks-aicinam-piedalities-un-atbalstit-elku-liepu
https://www.treeoftheyear.org/vote
27 February: Horticulture Conference at Bulduri Technical School
https://www.darzkopibaskonference.lv/
28 February: an educational hike in the Abava ancient valley “Wetlands are closer than you think!”
https://www.daba.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/dabas-aizsardzibas-parvalde-aicina-uz-izzinosu-pargajienu-mitraji-ir-tuvak-neka-tu-doma-abavas-senleja
13 March: a seminar for hunters at Valmiermuiža “Hunting, society and nature conservation. Control of wild animal populations in Latvia. Problems and solutions”
https://www.lmsp.lv/seminars-13-marta-valmiermuiza-medibas-sabiedriba-un-dabas-aizsardziba-meza-dzivnieku-populaciju-kontrole-latvija-problemas-un-risinajumi
23 March: International Day of Forests 2026
More detailed information about the event
13-15 May: international conference “Education, innovation and cooperation for the future of the regions” at Malnava College
https://www.lbtu.lv/lv/raksts/2026-02-03/starptautiska-konference-izglitiba-inovacijas-un-sadarbiba-regionu-nakotnei-lbtu
22 and 23 May: “Latvian Forest Days”
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7854-latvijas-meza-dienas-tervete-notiks-22-un-23-maija
Survey on the coexistence of livestock and wild animals
https://www.silava.lv/aktualitates/aicinam-piedalities-aptauja-par-majlopu-un-savvalas-dzivnieku-lidzaspastavesanu
Economy
https://zz.lv/vietejas-zinas/latvijas-dzelzcels-atzist-ka-tik-liels-ipasumu-skaits-jelgava-uznemumam-nav-nepieciesams/
Arnis Pūciņš, commercial director of “Latvijas dzelzceļš”, has pointed out that the company is currently working on cutting costs and managing its properties efficiently. The company has more than 1800 properties in Latvia, a large share of them in Jelgava. Representatives of “Latvijas dzelzceļš” are convinced that it does not currently need such a large number of properties, and moreover that a large proportion of the buildings stand empty.
Hunting
https://lasi.lv/mednieks-makskernieks/medibas/medibu-aizliegums-var-sakt-samazinat-lusu-populaciju-igaunijas-gadijums.38330
When discussions about a ban on lynx hunting began in Latvia, claims rang out especially loudly in the public arena that a specially protected species must not be hunted, because it will inevitably disappear.
https://www.medibam.lv/medibu-aizliegums-var-sakt-samazinat-lusu-populaciju-igaunijas-gadijums
The lynx population in Estonia is currently at its highest in recent decades, but paradoxically, that very fact may become one of the reasons why this predator's situation could deteriorate again in the coming years.
https://www.medibam.lv/vilki-ir-tur-kur-to-nav-bijis-saruna-ar-jani-ozolinu-un-valteru-lusi-sauj-garam-323-epizode
The question of wolves in Latvia is no longer merely a theoretical discussion. It is about safety, about the management of hunting, about attacks on dogs, about public perception, and about which decisions are taken today so that we live with the consequences tomorrow.
Environment
https://www.daba.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/grinu-dabas-rezervata-atjaunos-unikalos-slapjos-virsajus-un-reto-grina-sarteni
In order to restore and preserve the very rare, protected marsh gentian and its habitat — wet heaths — in the Grīņi Nature Reserve, major nature restoration works will begin this year on behalf of the Nature Conservation Agency.
https://tv3.lv/dzivesstils/dzivnieki/ilga-sala-del-arvien-biezak-novero-siksparnu-mosanos/
If a bat flies into your home, you should not drive it out. This winter is too cold for a bat that has woken up to survive.
https://ziemellatvija.lv/novados/latvijas-dabas-fonds-aizsargajamo-ainavu-apvidu-ziemelgauja-turpina-atjaunot-parkveida-plavas-un-ganibas/
As recently as a hundred years ago, wooded meadows and pastures were widespread throughout Latvia. In the Ziemeļgauja valley alone they wound in an unbroken belt from Vireši to Zīle.
Green disputes
https://bauskasdzive.lv/latvija-un-pasaule/veja-parku-saskanosanas-jautajuma-lps-priekssedis-tiksies-ar-premjeri/
The prolonged failure of the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development (VARAM) to draw up guidelines and criteria for introducing a unified approach to integrating wind farms into spatial plans that are still being drafted is one of the main reasons why those plans have been suspended.
https://www.lasi.lv/par-svarigo/aktuali/pasvaldibas-akla-skriesana-pakal-zalajam-kursam-noved-pie-mulkigiem-risinajumiem.38232
Local authorities point out that they have been angered both by the technical condition of the buses, which among other things makes them unfit to travel on gravel roads, and by various rules that prevent the buses from being used to the full — for example, children cannot be taken to the Song Festival, to sports training sessions or to competitions, because the buses are intended solely for transporting schoolchildren.
A note on the Olympic Games
https://platonovs.lv/heraskevica-kivere-ka-stresa-tests/
In a society like this, absolute evil is not required. Aggressors and usurpers can live perfectly well thanks to disciplined, collective moderation. One is warming up, another is preparing to win a gold medal, yet another has come on a business trip and is simply doing their job...
https://satori.lv/article/atgadijums-ar-kiveri-un-melno-aprociti
So the IOC is content for Ukrainian athletes to express mourning at competitions — provided it is abstract and unspecific, without the faces or life stories of those who have been killed; mourning whose cause is not Russia's invasion; mourning that does not make the committee feel uncomfortable about the fact that it is actively working to ensure that both aggressors and athletes whose people are subject to genocide at the aggressors' hands can compete in the same events.
Current affairs in cartoons
https://www.diena.lv/raksts/diena-citi/karikaturista-skats/elektrobusi-14347896
https://www.diena.lv/raksts/diena-citi/karikaturista-skats/vienlidziga-izglitiba-14348207
https://www.lasi.lv/par-svarigo/karikatura/zime-romans-vitkovskis-uz-labu-vai-sliktu.38298