Worth knowing! On upcoming and current events
https://www.zemeunvalsts.lv/latvijas-finieris-izsludina-25-prakses-vietas-13-profesijas
https://www.diena.lv/raksts/kd/maksla/foto-malpili-atklats-martas-liepinas-skulmes-ziemas-skulpturu-parks-_sniegaviri_-14330461
https://www.artursdimiters.com/sniegaviri
https://www.db.lv/zinas/federacija-laika-apstaklu-del-puse-no-meza-sagatavotajiem-kokmaterialiem-ir-nepieejami-519807
On the whole, the winter has to be judged as a not particularly successful one for the industry. In places it is currently impossible to bring heavy machinery into the forest to haul the prepared timber out to the road, and in places the roads by which the timber lies cannot be used either, because weight restrictions have been imposed.
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7151-lvm-iepazistina-kudras-ieguves-vietu-nomniekus-ar-nosacijumiem-ligumu-pagarinasanai
The Ministry of Agriculture is offering growth-oriented companies working in the peat industry, which plan to invest at least 25 million euros in peat extraction and processing in Latvia, the chance to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation for long-term investment in Latvia.
https://www.db.lv/zinas/apalkoku-cenas-patlaban-saglabajas-augstas-519834
...high roundwood prices have also been influenced by the current mild and wet weather, which is hampering logging operations and limiting access to prepared timber along forest roads, resulting in a shortage of roundwood in places.
https://www.tvnet.lv/8180120/riga-vertes-iespeju-nopirkt-dalu-zviedrijas-kompanijai-sodra-piederoso-mezu
Riga City Council chair Vilnis Ķirsis (JV) has instructed the city's executive director, Jānis Lange, to work with the municipal company SIA “Rīgas meži” to assess the possibility of acquiring part of the forests in Latvia that Sweden's largest forest owners' association and forestry group Sodra plans to sell, the Riga City Council External Communications Department told the LETA news agency.
https://www.tvnet.lv/8179877/noskaties-lai-pardotu-milzigas-mezu-platibas-zviedru-uznemumam-bus-nepieciesama-latvijas-valdibas-atlauja
The area under management is twice the combined area of all Latvia's state cities. Sodra also owns roughly 18 thousand hectares of land in Estonia. In total – 153 thousand hectares of land in the Baltics.
https://www.zm.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/eiropas-inovaciju-partneribas-darba-grupas-lauksaimnieciba-un-mezsaimnieciba-vares-sadarboties-ar-citam-valstim
International cooperation will help create new products and technologies that will improve the business activities of farmers and foresters. The solutions developed – new processes, technologies and methods – will make it possible to share experience and work more efficiently.
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/cilvekstasti/31.01.2025-snoru-razotas-bernu-mebeles-no-tinuziem-celo-uz-eiropu-japanu-un-asv-kas-iedvesmoja-sakt-biznesu.a585307/
Eight years ago, Krišjānis Šnore and his wife Linda Riekstiņa-Šnore began making children's furniture from birch plywood in Tinūži parish, Ogre district. They now have their own modern production facility, set up in a former farm building. 99% of what they make is exported – at present mainly to European countries
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/vide-un-dzivnieki/25.01.2025-petnieki-lidz-ar-klimata-parmainam-mezsaimnieciba-un-lauksaimnieciba-ieguvejs-bus-tas-kurs-pratis-pielagoties.a584971/
Growing watermelons in Latvia is becoming ever more popular, while in future beech and lodgepole pine could be growing in the forests...
https://rigasmezi.lv/jaunumi/rigas-mezi-atsaks-mezizstradi-juglas-meznieciba-ropazu-novada-meza-masiva-dala-pie-juglas-papirfabrikas-ciemata
https://rigasmezi.lv/jaunumi/mezistrade-juglas-meznieciba-ropazu-novada-ulbrokas-vsk
At the end of January 2025, SIA “Rīgas meži” will begin creating scenically valuable areas and carrying out forest tending in the relevant territories...
On the economy
https://www.delfi.lv/898102/versijas/120059452/andris-bite-kurss-valsts-kapitalisma-virziena-apdraud-musu-konkuretspeju-un-labklajibu
As a Latvian citizen and businessman, I would like to live in an ideal world where companies operate in the following order of ownership: local private companies, local public companies (with state capital involvement), foreign private companies and so on. Yet it has to be admitted that we do not know how to run public companies – and, it seems, never will – in such a way that they do not constantly dip into our own pockets and regularly end up in scandals.
https://www.db.lv/zinas/vairaki-simti-grants-celu-posmu-skidoni-zaudejusi-nestspeju-519830
As a result of weather untypical for winter, several hundred stretches of gravel road have lost their load-bearing capacity in the thaw...
https://www.db.lv/zinas/rb-rail-padome-atliek-jautajumu-par-nepieciesamo-finansejumu-rail-baltica-519881
At a regular meeting of the RB Rail board held in Vilnius on Thursday, the commitment to implement the Rail Baltica project in Latvia was confirmed, while also stressing the substantial progress made in reducing costs and improving efficiency.
On hunting
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7150-vienojas-par-jauna-sadarbibas-memoranda-veidosanu-staltbriezu-populacijas-turpmakai-apsaimniekosanai
In order not to jeopardise the growing of future forests, the Ministry of Agriculture has instructed landowners and land managers to work with hunters to find solutions for reducing the red deer population.
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/29.01.2025-visi-ir-neapmierinati-mednieki-mezsaimnieki-un-lauksaimnieki-piesaka-cinu-briezu-raditajam-postam.a585685/
Hunters, farmers, forest owners, state forest managers and the state have agreed to draw up a new memorandum of cooperation on the further management of the red deer population, in order to tackle the damage done by the animals. At present every party is dissatisfied with the damage the animal does to fields and forests, but the first steps have been taken towards aligning the parties' interests and possibilities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWPaUFNBvNc
A nail in the coffin of hunting? An in-person LVM discussion on managing the red deer population
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/30.01.2025-zemkopibas-ministrija-aicina-parskatit-vilku-medibu-nosacijumus-balstoties-uz-petijumu.a585716/
Whereas until now a maximum permissible number of wolves to be culled has been set for the country as a whole, that study points towards a possible regional approach in future – that there are certain regions where the wolf is an unlimited game animal, and certain regions where the existing arrangement remains...
https://www.vmd.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/apkopoti-dati-par-20242025-gada-alnu-medibu-sezonu
According to State Forest Service data, the most elk this season have been culled in Ludza district (439 animals), Rēzekne district (407 animals) and Krāslava district (374 animals). The fewest elk were culled in Salaspils and Mārupe districts, with two elk taken in each.
https://www.diena.lv/raksts/latvija/zinas/tas-ir-mits-ka-medibas-ir-pie-vainas-kadas-sugas-izniksanai-14330434
On game species, their numbers and limits, on wild forest animals in urban areas, invasive species and species not native to Latvia, the demographic curve among hunters and other current issues in the sector.
On forests and research
https://www.finieris.com/lv/latvijas-universitate-un-latvijas-finieris-uzsak-verienigu-petijumu-par-meza-nozares-attistibu/
The significance of the study is reinforced by its interdisciplinary approach, made possible by the wide-ranging academic and research work of the University of Latvia and by its spectrum of study fields. The University of Latvia brings together knowledge and expertise in researching ecological, sustainability, economic and legal aspects, forming a comprehensive view of the sector's development.
https://www.silava.lv/aktualitates/vpp-petijuma-forest4lv---inovacijas-meza-apsaimniekosana-un-koksnes-apstrades-pievienotas-vertibas-kede-latvijas-izaugsmei-jauni-pakalpojumi-produkti-tehnologijas-atklasanas-sanaksme
In September 2024, LVMI “Silava”, in cooperation with the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry and the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, began a study supported by the State Research Programme, Forest4LV – Innovation in forest management and the wood processing value-added chain for Latvia's growth: new services, products, technologies, whose aim is to promote innovative forest management in Latvia and to develop new forest services, products and technologies.
On environmental matters
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7148-lvm-vides-eksperts-uziet-jaunu-apdraudetas-vaboles-atradni
In Latvia this rare beetle has been recorded at around 15 sites in all, with more than 10 km between individual finds. This time an environmental expert found an unusually large number of specimens together under the bark of a tree – five beetles.
https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7153-vertigi-sunu-atklajumi-latvijas-valsts-mezos
Floating crystalwort is found in standing or slow-flowing waters – ponds, ditches, canals, beaver ponds and similar places. It can be found both in urban settings and in natural surroundings.
Still...
https://www.tvnet.lv/8182125/petijums-es-importeti-sankcioneti-krievijas-un-baltkrievijas-kokmateriali-1-5-miljardu-eiro-vertiba
Investigators from the UK-based non-profit organisation Earthsight have uncovered a flourishing trade in illegal Russian timber that stretches across Europe and breaches the sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. The investigation “Blood-stained Birch: exposing EU trade in Russian conflict plywood”, using cameras, voice calls and internal documents, has caught companies arranging a steady flow of Russian plywood into the EU.
No surprise
https://www.delfi.lv/46713439/arzemes/120058822/labejie-sasutusi-par-es-lidzeklu-izmantosanu-bloka-instituciju-lobesanai-zala-kursa-intereses
Reports that part of the funding the European Union has allocated to environmental campaigners' non-governmental organisations is intended for lobbying EU institutions have caused indignation among right-wing parties and calls for an official investigation to be opened.
On history and research
https://www.lbtu.lv/lv/raksts/2025-01-28/lbtu-doktorants-normunds-stivrins-rakstu-krajuma-izcel-zemgales-geologijas-un
Normunds Stivriņš, a student on the doctoral study programme “Environmental Engineering” at the LBTU Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences, offers a story in the collection of articles – the study “The role of Zemgale's geology and environment in shaping the identity of the territory”. He analyses the development of the Zemgale region, giving a detailed insight into climate and environmental change over the past 15,000 years.
Miscellaneous
https://www.delfi.lv/56419807/projekts-43/120059112/gan-slaveta-gan-pelta-ko-latvijai-nesusi-novadu-reforma
Before the administrative-territorial reform, the budgets of some local authorities were under 5 million euros, which limited their ability to attract funding. In 2020 there were sixty local authorities whose budget revenue was less than 10 million euros a year. In 2024 only four district authorities had a budget of less than 20 million euros.
https://www.vidzeme.lv/vpr-attistibas-padome-netiek-atbalstits-rigas-metropoles-areala-likumprojekts/
The draft law provides for the establishment of a secretariat for the Riga metropolitan area, to be financed by a Riga metropolitan area fund made up of state budget resources, funding from the local authorities within the Riga metropolitan area, EU funds and foreign financial instruments, as well as other sources of funding.
https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/kultura/kulturtelpa/24.01.2025-piemineklu-aizvaksana-ir-kluvusi-par-politisku-vajadzibu.a585114/
Each of the art historians had their own last straw that prompted them to speak out in favour of a moratorium of at least a year on the relocation or demolition of those monuments whose removal is justified on the grounds that they glorify totalitarian regimes.
Current affairs in cartoons
https://www.lasi.lv/par-svarigo/karikatura/zime-gatis-sluka-politiskais-tirgus.24320
https://www.diena.lv/raksts/diena-citi/karikaturista-skats/piemineklis-ziemai-14330532