Weekly review
Poll
15-21 February
Worth knowing! Upcoming and current events
From 28 January to 14 March applications are open for paid work placements at AS “Latvijas Finieris” business units
zemeunvalsts.lv · latvijas finieris izsludina 25 prakses vietas 13 profesijas
From 11 February to 30 April the international illustrators' exhibition “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 12.00-15.00 at “Skulmes” in Mālpils parish, sculptor Marta Liepiņa-Skulme's winter sculpture park “Snowmen”
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
daba.gov.lv · ligatnes dabas takas atklata jauna ekspozicija kas meza brik…
Until 28 March the exhibition “Vārdene” at the “Latvijas valsts meži” customer centre in Rīga
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
vmd.gov.lv · notiks sistemas uzturesanas darbi 1
Maintenance work on the State Forest Register will be carried out from 17.00 on 21 February 2025 until 8.00 on 25 February 2025.
diena.lv · bijusais ltv valdes priekssedetajs priede stradas rigas mezu…
Rīgas meži continues to have Anita Skudra on its board, with responsibility for the company's strategic management, corporate governance, human resources, risk management, sustainability and communications, as well as some Gardens and Parks matters, alongside Jānis Ģērmanis, who is responsible for forestry, logging, production and sales, and property management.
youtube.com · watch
Journalist Ivo Butkevičs and Kristaps Klauss, vice-president of the Latvian Federation of Wood Processing, discuss what matters to the timber industry, the forest sector caught in the crossfire of opinions, the hard-to-estimate impact of tariff wars, and how to interpret the various announcements from the US administration.
lvm.lv · 7250 pern valsts mezos paveikts rekordliels meza kopsanas da…
In 2024, agrotechnical tending was carried out on 40.2 thousand hectares, while young stand tending covered 40.3 thousand hectares. The work was made easier by favourable weather – the summer was not hot, and the winter passed without any significant snow cover.
zemeunvalsts.lv · malkas nakotne eiropa resurss vai problema
It is in Latvia's interests to preserve the use of wood-burning stoves as an individual heating solution for households, because some of them have neither the technical nor the financial means to switch to a zero-emission heating solution such as a heat pump.
zz.lv · spej glabt ne tikai mezu
August is usually the fire-hazard season in the forests, when it can be very dry and, unfortunately, the odd careless berry-picker – a smoker – comes into the forest and throws away a lit cigarette. Clearly, during the days of catastrophic rainfall in August 2024 the forests were not burning, and the forest firefighters were able to devote themselves fully to dealing with the aftermath of the floods. That was not laid down in any service instructions; colleagues simply called on colleagues for help.
lsm.lv · 15.02.2025 aldis rigu nomaina pret mezu un uzcel apalu hobit…
A two-storey cottage sits organically in the picturesque landscape between two lakes, looking for all the world as though it wants to push its way up out of the ground. With its green moss roof, bright yellow outer walls, semi-round windows and surprisingly round door, it invites you to come inside.
About knowledge
lvm.lv · 7246 lvm bioekonomikas skola jauniesi atklaj savu atbildibu…
...the poster sketches were assessed by a jury of the competition organisers on the following criteria: understanding of the theme, originality and creativity. On 6 February the authors of the 50 best works were announced, earning the chance to take part in round 2 of the competition...
About the economy
In fact, in recent years Estonia has seen the birth of the most new potential taxpayers, who could in future become a significant driver of the economy. 2024 paints a harsher picture. Estonia registered 23,503 new companies, Lithuania 16,078, and Latvia only 9,320...
In 2024, one in five Latvian adults reported a fall in household income, a slight increase on the previous year. A similar number of people, namely one in five, plan to start a business within the next three years, which is likewise a slight increase on 2023.
Does the state now need to pay a high price? Most likely Sodra will not manage to sell the forests at such a price. So what will happen as a result? Sodra will quite simply carry on owning these forests.
...various institutions, as well as the non-governmental sector, usually put their arguments into the decision-making process, so in most cases the decision-makers have at least heard about the undesirable consequences and are aware of them. Despite that, decisions that hold back Latvia's growth still follow, and the question is – why, if there is no malice and the negative consequences are well understood?
"Valsts aizsardzības korporācija" has received permission from the Cabinet of Ministers to apply an exemption under the Public Procurement Law to the project's implementation, for the purchase of raw materials needed to manufacture charges, the purchase of production equipment, construction, and the procurement of related services.
Under the economic activity heading, expenditure of 16.7 million euros is planned, or 19% of budget expenditure.
Our farmers have suffered from the repricing of mineral fertilisers, Russian grain dumping and inadequate state support, and they could suffer even more if the plans of certain politicians are put into practice.
A conversation with Kristīne Rapa, chair of the Latvian Forest Sector Trade Union, who is convinced that in the context of the green deal a strong trade union has a major role and an opportunity, through social dialogue, to defend in the corridors of Europe the interests of Latvian forest sector workers, which are seriously under threat from the wish to turn Latvia into one large “nature reserve”.
lvm.lv · 7276 latvijas universitates petnieki uzsaks monitoringu lvm…
Researchers at the University of Latvia will carry out continuous monitoring of water level changes and mire habitat vegetation in five territories throughout the project's implementation, until autumn 2029. Monitoring sample plots will be set up in each of the specially protected nature territories where LVM restores mire habitats over the course of the project.
varam.gov.lv · biologiskas daudzveidibas uzlabosanai un aizsargasanai natur…
On 18 February the Cabinet of Ministers approved the draft regulations of the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development on European Union fund investments to protect and improve biological diversity in Natura 2000 sites. These investments will also contribute to Latvia meeting the requirements of the Nature Restoration Regulation by ensuring the restoration of habitats of EU importance in Natura 2000 sites.
varam.gov.lv · aicina izteikt viedokli par dabas parka ogres ieleja turpmak…
The Nature Conservation Agency is beginning work on a nature protection plan for the “Ogres ieleja” nature park. Residents of Ogre and Madona municipalities and anyone else interested are invited to the plan's launch meeting on 20 February at 18.00 in the Ērgļi assembly hall and on 26 February at 12.00 in the Madliena culture house. The meeting at the Ērgļi assembly hall can also be followed live on the Nature Conservation Agency's Youtube channel, with questions submitted remotely.
varam.gov.lv · latvijas ainavu atlanta publiceti piekrastes ainavu novertej…
Landscapes are a unique coastal natural and cultural heritage resource with an essential role in shaping the identity of places and communities, in tourism development and in other respects. An assessment of landscape features and quality describes the potential of cultural ecosystem services, which can be applied at various levels of planning.
diena.lv · bebru dambis trauceklis vai dabas sastavdala 14331230
Today the beaver has gone from a rarely seen animal to an integral part of Latvia's fauna. The beaver is the largest rodent living here, and it has a dual reputation. On the one hand, the beaver is a harmless creature that lives in water and avoids people. On the other, it is a mighty engineer of nature whose dams often cause difficulties and losses for foresters and farmers.
ir.lv · vides tiesibas kas garante dabu
For many people, the state of the surrounding environment and natural resources is something taken for granted in the course of daily life. It is worth pausing to think who vouches for their quality and their continuation. Who guarantees the protection of the environment and of nature?
lsm.lv · 16.02.2025 latvija noverota lusu neparasta uzvediba.a587974
Recently, people in Latvia have increasingly encountered a situation in which the lynx, one of the most cautious animals of the forest, does not run away when it notices a human. Researchers acknowledge that this is not normal lynx behaviour. For now, scientists cannot give a clear answer as to why this is so, but they suggest it is connected with the growth of the lynx population, and also with becoming accustomed to people, or with the search for food.
lsm.lv · 16.02.2025 saja gadsimta vejs latvija klust lenaks vainiga v…
This century wind speeds in Latvia have fallen, and climatologists have no clear answer as to why this is happening. Since the reasons are not fully understood, confidence is also being lost in future climate change scenarios, which predict that average wind speed may not change significantly over the coming decades.
About hunting
medibam.lv · kapec pieaug briezu skaits ka veicas ar limita izpildi valte…
We meet Valters Lūsis, head of the Hunting Division of the State Forest Service. The first season with the Mednis app is drawing to a close – what data has been gathered and what conclusions can be drawn. We talk about the rise in deer numbers – there is a logical explanation for it.
About value (in money)
lsm.lv · 16.02.2025 jugendstila un panelu majas viena cena kapec jaun…
But even the four years allotted were not enough. Last year the politicians of the 14th Saeima agreed that from 2025 there would be two cadastral values: one, calculated more than 10 years ago, on which immovable property tax would be paid; the other universal, reflecting a value close to the market, but most often serving an informative purpose.
la.lv · vai pardodot meza ipasumus jamaksa nodoklis
If I sell two forest properties in one year for around 60,000 euros, will I have to pay VAT? If one of them were in my name and the other in my wife's, would they count as related transactions – in other words, would an obligation to pay VAT come into force?
About history
lvportals.lv · 372502 kapec mums sodien vajadzigs piemineklis konstantinam…
We put up monuments too. Only much more quietly and in a more down-to-earth way. This process may be happening too chaotically and in too fragmented a fashion, without a common message or the framing of the bigger picture.
lasi.lv · darbs kas parvertas misija saruna ar vesturnieci inesi dreim…
It is a paradox that you have filled in one of the blank spots in Latvian history, one long spoken about as a settled matter, but which on closer inspection turned out, from the point of view of historical accuracy, to offer painfully little knowledge about the tragedy and the victims. So the 1942 publication Baigais gads, which recounts these killings, is no longer current?
zinas.tv3.lv · bula ne visiem padomju laiku pieminekliem ir vieta publiskaj…
...some monuments ought to be in the hands of the National Heritage Board, so that they can be properly explained to the public, while the rest should have explanatory plaques installed.
jauns.lv · 641312 nokluseta pagatne ir ideja nojaukt visas latvijas pil…
...the idea of removing the symbols of a previous regime goes back to the time of the French Revolution, when a decree was issued stating that all monuments associated with feudalism and the oppression of people had to be removed from public space.
Current affairs in cartoons
lasi.lv · zime gatis sluka koalicijas drifts
lasi.lv · zime gatis sluka plana galdina urbejs