Industry
https://www.finieris.com/lv/saimniecibas-zabaki-koka-eku-komplekss-latvijas-buvniecibas-gada-balvas-laureats/The wooden building complex at AS “Latvijas Finieris” farm “Zābaki” has been awarded the highest — first — place in the “Latvian Construction Annual Award 2025” competition in the “Timber Structure” category, confirming the potential of wood as a sustainable and modern building material and Latvia's expertise in timber construction.
https://www.db.lv/zinas/izmanto-mebelu-tirgus-atjaunosanos-525685
Furniture manufacturers in Latvia are making the most of the market recovery in Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom, which is translating into higher export earnings, although geopolitical events keep the future clouded.
https://lasi.lv/par-svarigo/latvija/kuldidznieki-pret-mezu-izcirsanu-iedzivotajus-soke-iecere-likvidet-80-hektarus-meza.39646
...would cross the territory of the district's parishes over a length of 20.2 km, and whose construction would require the felling of forest properties belonging to residents and the state across a combined area of 76.7 hectares.
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7909-lvm-uzsak-ikgadejas-mezkopibas-pakalpojumu-sniedzeju-apmacibas
Training is being organised for six types of silvicultural work that require hand tools: forest planting and the supplementary planting of regenerated areas, the tending of young stands and agrotechnical tending, as well as the protection of regenerated areas and stems against damage caused by deer.
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7908-paveiktais-2025-uztureta-un-attistita-meza-celu-infrastruktura-30-227-km-kopgaruma
Over the year, both new forest road construction and reconstruction works and the renewal and routine maintenance of the existing road network were carried out: construction and reconstruction works were completed on 107 kilometres of forest roads, surface renewal on existing roads covered 229 kilometres, while roadbed tending works were carried out on 30,227 kilometres of forest roads.
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/ekonomika/19.03.2026-atlaistie-latvijas-valsts-mezu-valdes-locekli-bez-konkursa-tiek-uznemuma-direktora-amatos.a639506/
The company earned 204 million euros after tax last year. A quarter of that sum remains at the company's disposal.
https://lasi.lv/par-svarigo/projekti/vai-jurmalas-mezos-viss-kartiba.36405
...the information that has emerged in the public domain suggests that the management of Jūrmala's city forest cannot be regarded as good practice in which the local community is involved in the planning process, two-way communication is ensured and a deeper understanding of sustainable forest management is demonstrated.
Worth knowing! Upcoming and current events
From 20 March to 26 April an orienteering game at the manors of Valmiera district, “Catch the Hare at the Manor”
https://www.valmierasnovads.lv/apcelo-valmieras-novadu-kerot-zaki-muizas/
Until 22 March submission of entries to the photography competition My Bird 2026
https://www.varam.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/izsludinats-fotokonkurss-mans-putns-2026
Until 22 March everyone with an interest is invited to see the historic Vijciems cone-drying kiln in operation
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7883-aicina-verot-ciekuru-zavesanu-vesturiskaja-lvm-vijciema-ciekurkalte
23 March, International Day of Forests 2026
More detailed information about the event
On 28 March an educational event, “The First Flowers of Spring: from Catkins to Bulb Flowers”
At the National Botanic Garden's nature centre “Botania”
https://nbd.gov.lv/events/pirmie-pavasara-ziedi/
On 28 March an apple tree crown shaping masterclass and a working bee at Likteņdārzs
More about the working bee and the masterclass
On 13–15 May the 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
On 22 and 23 May, “Latvian Forest Days”
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7854-latvijas-meza-dienas-tervete-notiks-22-un-23-maija
Garden days and masterclasses at the Institute of Horticulture in 2026
https://fruittechcentre.eu/lv/article/2025-12-23/darza-dienas-un-meistarklases-darzkopibas-instituta-2026
Official
https://www.varam.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/putnu-aizsardzibai-no-15-marta-aizliegta-mezizstrade-ipasi-aizsargajamas-dabas-teritorijas
The Nature Conservation Agency advises that from 15 March to 31 July a ban on forestry activities will be in force in specially protected nature territories throughout Latvia.
https://www.daba.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/dabas-aizsardzibas-parvalde-nodod-dalu-liepajas-ezera-pasvaldibas-parzina
The Nature Conservation Agency has transferred 494.4 hectares of the state-owned lake territory to Liepāja local government for use free of charge for the next 10 years.
Economy
https://www.em.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/par-publiskiem-lidzekliem-celtas-ekas-bus-jaizmanto-videi-draudzigi-materiali
In future, new buildings constructed with state, local government or European Union funds will have to use environmentally friendly, CO₂-sequestering materials.
https://kodols.lv/ekonomika/piena-razosana-latvija-saruk-strauji-kritas-ari-biologiska-piena-apjomi-200607
In the first two months of this year, the volume of raw milk delivered for processing in Latvia fell by 5.4%, according to data compiled by the Rural Support Service.
Science
https://kki.lv/aktualitates/80-gadi-kas-savieno-zinatni-industriju-un-sabiedribu
In 2026 the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry marks its 80th anniversary.
https://www.silava.lv/aktualitates/lvmi-silava-zinatnieki-uzstajas-lza-lauksaimniecibas-un-meza-zinatnu-nodalas-kopsede
At a joint session of the Latvian Academy of Sciences' Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences and the presidium of the Latvian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, the winners of the Young Forest Scientists Award from the forest research institute “Silava” presented their reports.
https://www.lbtu.lv/lv/raksts/2026-03-10/no-aizaugusiem-ezeriem-lidz-aprites-risinajumiem-publiceta-pirma-nutriloopworks
(...) information about the project's three pilot sites — Lake Võnnu in Kastre (Estonia), the Rīdzene pond in Cēsis and Lake Dūņezers in Limbaži. At these sites, researchers are working with local governments to test innovative approaches that help remove excess nutrients from the water and recover phosphorus as a valuable resource that can be reused, for example in urban green spaces.
https://www.silava.lv/aktualitates/izglabt-cilveci-kemmejot-bites-lvmi-silava-zinatnieki-skaidro-ka-peta-apputeksnetaju-daudzveidibu
Pollinators, and bees in particular, play an essential role both in food production and in maintaining natural diversity. Studies of bee species composition help to identify problems and plan solutions (...)
Bogs and peat
https://www.la.lv/video/1603_klimatabalss_2026
On bogs and their restoration...
Hunting
https://www.latma.lv/staltbriezu-jautajums-jarisina-uz-vietas-nevis-ar-likuma-grozijumiem-secinajumi-pec-saeimas-komisijas-darba-grupas-sedes/
It is a positive development that further discussions have been delegated to the Ministry of Agriculture, giving all parties involved the chance to seek balanced solutions together. In LATMA's view this is the right direction — working with data, cooperation and targeted measures rather than hasty amendments to the law.
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/14.03.2026-benes-pagasta-nomedits-pie-majam-dzivojoss-briedis-vietejie-sasutusi-mednieki-parkapumus-noliedz.a638734/
The law does not require hunters to inform residents about upcoming hunts or to put up warning signs. They must, however, observe strict safety rules so that no one is put at risk during the hunt.
Environment
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7914-video-lvm-vides-eksperts-izglabj-slimu-klinsu-ergli
... a wild bird rehabilitation station has opened at Uģis Bergmanis's farmstead in Barkava parish, Madona district, where more than 50 birds of prey have already recovered their health and returned to the wild.
https://www.medibam.lv/uzzini-cik-latvija-sobrid-ir-lacu-monitoringa-dati-rada-butisku-populacijas-pieaugumu
According to monitoring data, there may be around 190 bears in Latvia. That figure was arrived at by collating various kinds of evidence — footprints, photographs, trail camera images, sites of damage to apiaries and other observations.
https://www.medibam.lv/foto-un-video-kapec-viena-gadijuma-ir-kriminallieta-bet-cita-klusums-zurnala-medibas-galvenas-redaktores-lindas-dombrovskas-viedoklis
Psychologists often explain this phenomenon in terms of so-called selective empathy. People react far more strongly to one particular animal or an emotional story than to a systemic problem. A seal pup on a beach is an easily understood story — a single animal that needs help.
https://retv.lv/sabiedriba/biezakais-noziegums-pret-dabu-ir-patvaliga-koku-cirsana/
According to assessments by international institutions, environmental crime is one of the fastest-growing and most lucrative forms of crime in the world, with direct and indirect consequences for the environment, society and national economies.
https://rigasmezi.lv/jaunumi/rigas-mezos-pavasaris-sakas-ar-putnu-burisu-talkam
In March and April, seven events will take place in the areas managed by the company and at educational institutions, at which residents — children in particular — are invited to take a hands-on part in caring for the city's natural diversity.
https://www.daba.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/dunduru-plavas-nav-konstateti-dabas-aizsardzibas-parkapumi-vienlaikus-jauzlabo-liguma-nosacijumu-izpilde
During the inspection, all land units in the Dunduri Meadows were surveyed, where under the land lease agreement grassland management is provided by grazing with aurochs-type cattle and Konik horses. It was established that, overall, grassland management by grazing corresponds to the intended use of the territory and is a suitable method for maintaining biologically valuable grasslands.
https://www.lasi.lv/par-svarigo/projekti/zala-latvija-veja-parki-putniem-kaites-mazak.39387
Jānis Priednieks, leading researcher at the Ecology Department of the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences of the University of Latvia, takes a favourable view of installing automatic bird detection systems at wind farms and confirms that such equipment does indeed have the potential to significantly reduce the number of birds killed by wind turbines. He also points out, however, that even this equipment cannot entirely prevent bird deaths at wind farms.
https://www.delfi.lv/898102/versijas/120110877/maris-zanders-kad-runa-ieroci-vides-jautajumi-kluse
An oil refinery or a port terminal can be repaired, and in those cases it is a matter of financial losses, whereas without drinking water society would collapse rapidly and with consequences that are hard to predict.
Ticks...
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/18.03.2026-erces-jau-modusas-tas-atgadina-par-nepadaritu-majasdarbu-saruna-ar-infektologi-daci-zavadsku.a639291/
We, Latvia, are an endemic country; ticks infected with the tick-borne encephalitis virus are found throughout Latvia. It is not only in the countryside, it is also in urban areas, right here in Rīga. And we are one of the few countries where all three subtypes of the virus occur.
Close to home
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive-stils/valasprieki/16.03.2026-viena-diena-jelgava-zirgi-skulpturas-runajosa-maja-un-negaiditi-parsteigumi.a638352/
We spend a good while watching the shaggy steeds tucking eagerly into their hay. The first Polish Konik horses were brought here in 2007. Over time the herd has multiplied considerably, and around 90 horses now live on Jelgava's Pilssala.
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive-stils/cilvekstasti/13.03.2026-tevs-ar-delu-vandzene-audze-un-eksporte-kanepes-un-piepilda-sapnus-atguta-dzimtas-ipasuma.a638012/
Māris pointed out that Vandzene parish is unusual in that not a single foreign investor has yet moved in. Local farmers themselves began managing the land as soon as the opportunity arose, and they are still determinedly carrying on.
Miscellaneous
https://lvportals.lv/viedokli/387135-vesturnieks-janis-silins-par-savu-vesturi-zinam-loti-maz-2026
How well do we know and appreciate the people without whom Latvia would not be what it is — or rather, what it could have been? I think things are rather sad in that respect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJBD-W3rnMQ&t=1297s
The influence of pre-trial publicity on court decisions. A study, considerations, arguments
https://satori.lv/article/bus-jastrebj-putra-ko-pasi-neesam-savarijusi
I would like to outline a few solutions for softening the impact of economic shocks. Swift and decisive intervention by the political authorities will be needed. Even people with little interest in economics sense that high energy prices sooner or later push up the prices of goods and services. The price of gas also affects the price of mineral fertilisers, and that is a further reason for more expensive food.
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/16.03.2026-riga-atsauc-naudu-lielo-kapu-teritorijas-sakartosanas-projektam-apkaime-bazas-par-ta-nerealizesanu.a639121/
Lielie kapi, which residents of the Brasa neighbourhood have taken to as a place for walks, has not seen any significant improvement works for several years now. Potholed pavements and grounds without lighting are just some of the shortcomings pointed out by local residents.
Current affairs in cartoons
https://www.diena.lv/raksts/diena-citi/karikaturista-skats/trauslie-20-miljoni-14349311
https://www.diena.lv/raksts/diena-citi/karikaturista-skats/zzs-atbrivo-saurumu-14349476
https://www.lasi.lv/par-svarigo/karikatura/zime-gatis-sluka-snorejam-ciet-vainigo.39638
https://www.diena.lv/raksts/diena-citi/karikaturista-skats/hormuza-sauruma-atblokesana-14349427