From 11 November 2024, the post of Director General of the State Forest Service will be held by Andis Purs, until now the Director of the Forest Department at the Ministry of Agriculture. Under a Cabinet of Ministers order, Andis Purs has been transferred to the post of Director General of the State Forest Service in order to ensure the high-quality performance of the public administration functions and tasks assigned to the service.

 

“Stiga RM” has signed a cooperation agreement with one of Europe's leaders in developing automation solutions — the Danish equipment and production tool developer “BILA”. Although the company is well known and highly regarded among industry professionals, this will be the first opportunity for Latvian manufacturers to work with this prestigious equipment supplier.

 

Uncertainty and a lack of clarity affect companies in the sector not only in Latvia but in other European Union countries too, and this is causing resentment, because implementing the regulation's requirements creates additional costs for companies overall and increases the bureaucratic burden, yet there is no confidence that the system envisaged in the regulation will function fully, easily and promptly.

 

At the historic LVM Vijciems cone-drying kiln, where cone-drying equipment more than 100 years old is still in operation, restoration of the building's brick façade was completed this autumn. In keeping with its status as a state-protected cultural monument, the work was carried out in accordance with the National Heritage Board.

 

As a result of climate change, the risk of forest fires increases during the warm season — there are more dry and hot days in Latvia too. Likewise, a high fire risk still persists in forests in places, even though autumn has already begun.

 

Specialists in silviculture, logging, forest infrastructure and planning all work on this. All the processes are interconnected, and the foremen hand forest compartments on to one another so that the work runs like a well-regulated clock.

 

 

For the rest of this week, until 10 November, residents, landowners and interest groups can submit proposals on the new regulatory framework for Gauja National Park — the law and the Cabinet of Ministers regulations.

 

It is planned that strengthening the Eastern border will be advanced as a security issue for the entire European Union (EU). Under this plan, in the multiannual budget period starting in 2027, additional funding will be requested specifically for those EU member states and regions that lie on the Eastern border with Russia and Belarus. Such a step would provide greater financial support for the security and defence of these regions.

 

 

With the active spawning of salmon, trout, sea trout, grayling and whitefish beginning in Latvia's rivers, the Nature Conservation Agency reminds the public that taking these fish species in specially protected nature territories during the closed season carries criminal liability, and offenders must provide financial compensation for the damage caused to fish resources.

 

In Latvia, people continue to report encounters with bears or wolves, the growing boldness of these predators and the damage they cause. This was especially pronounced in late September and early October, when almost daily the regional and national media carried reports that, for example, a bear near Valka was not afraid of a hunter, that mushroom pickers were avoiding the forests around Vaiņode because a bruin had unexpectedly turned up there too, that wolves were savaging sheep, and so on.

 

 

 

New jobs, growth in economic activity, residents with more purchasing power — that is the road to greater overall prosperity and a larger mass of taxes paid. The formula seems clear and simple; only one question remains — why has putting it into practice not really succeeded, year after year?

 

At present, a specific niche paper — watercolour paper — is produced in small quantities, a few tonnes, at the former Līgatne paper mill.

 

The market for forest land and agricultural land (LIZ) is stagnating — a small drop in the number of transactions has been observed this year in every region. There is a shortage of high-quality arable land on offer.

 

The aim of the conference was to gather and assess the views and experience of experts in order to promote the sustainable development and prosperity of Latvia's regions. Discussion centred on the role of education, science and innovation in regional development, the role of the regions in strengthening the nation's development, the creation of an effective governance ecosystem in the regions, and the efficient use of resources and creation of new economic opportunities. The event sought solutions that would help raise the standard of living of the regions' residents and ensure long-term stability and growth.

 

Bringing all the cooperation partners together in one place, celebrations marking the start of construction of the Tume solar energy park were held at Tume Culture House in Tukums municipality.

In connection with the impact of African swine fever and damage caused by red deer, the State Forest Service has compiled information on the population dynamics of wild boar and red deer.

 

This autumn, hunters on Saaremaa have found an unusually large number of dead foxes. Laboratory analyses by the Agriculture and Food Board found canine distemper in one of the dead foxes, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports.

 

On the evening of 5 November, a bewildered wild boar left drivers on the Jūrmala highway baffled. The forest animal's appearance was captured on video and Natalija Žogole published it on “X”, also drawing the State Police's attention to this dangerous situation. The wild boar appeared disoriented and showed no sign of heading back towards the forest.

 

 

As industries in various sectors work together with scientists, the possibilities for using wood are becoming almost unlimited. The Finnish wood processing company Stora Enso announced this autumn that as early as 2026 it will be able to produce the first environmentally friendly electric vehicle batteries using biographite derived from wood.

 

The building has retained its original layout structure and most of its original structural elements, as well as the original façade finishing elements and layers of interior finishes and fittings. The building was left unmanaged for a long period, up to 2020.

 

I feel great sympathy for German — and similar — societies, because fear and the deep traumas of the previous century have paralysed their ability to see positive opportunities in turbulent change, and because their love of stability has caused an atrophy of empathy.

 

...people do not understand what a reliable source is or what the nature of different information channels is. They use both Delfi and Facebook and think that these channels can be trusted equally. Experts believe that more education is needed for both parents of children and people of pre-retirement age.

 

Andris Andreiko is still regarded as one of the world's best draughts players, one who earned particular respect among professionals for his contribution to the development of the game.

 

lsm.lv · 01.11.2024 iveta kazoka laima berzina ka latvijas veletajiem…
We are aware that some parties have, ever since the 1990s, offered this before elections as a miracle cure for almost all the problems of Latvian democracy and governance, but then the topic swiftly disappears from the political agenda, only to return when just a few weeks remain of the current Saeima's term.