https://www.tvnet.lv/8217508/iemesli-kadel-zviedri-un-somi-steidz-pardot-savus-aktivus-latvijas-kokapstrade
The timber industry is one of the pillars of Latvia's economy. On the face of it, the stormy ups and downs that have shaken the sector over the past five years have settled. Yet right now the market is seeing a change of ownership – Swedish and Finnish shareholders are selling their assets.

https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/vide-un-dzivnieki/01.04.2025-ar-feromonu-slazdiem-prognozes-eglu-astonzobu-mizgrauza-postijumu-risku-sogad.a593670/
As air temperatures warm, the active season of the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle gradually begins, and so restrictions on economic activity in forests apply from 1 April. This also applies to felling permits that have already been issued.

https://www.silava.lv/aktualitates/lr1-labrit-lvmi-silava-vadosais-petnieks-agnis-smits-par-eglu-astonzobu-mizgrauzi
Agnis Šmits talks about the activity and spread of the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle and the losses it causes in forestry.

https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7552-lvm-kokaudzetavas-pieejami-dekorativie-stadi-ar-atlaidi-lidz-pat-70
High-quality ornamental tree and shrub saplings suited to Latvia's climatic conditions can be bought at discounts of up to 70%.

https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7553-lvm-vijciema-ciekurkaltes-vesturiskajas-iekartas-rit-ciekuru-zavesana
With the arrival of spring, the old kiln at the LVM Vijciems cone-drying house is traditionally lit. After a week of warming up, the cone-drying process has begun there, and it proceeds exactly as it did a hundred years ago. By booking a tour, those interested can watch the cone drying on site at the cone kiln.

https://www.silava.lv/aktualitates/lvmi-silava-podkasta-jauna-epizode-vesturiskie-mezi-latvija
In Europe, ancient forests cover around 8 million hectares, or 4% of the continent's area. The location and development of ancient forests are linked to human life and economic activity in the context of particular natural conditions – for example, to the use of forest products and the conversion of forest land to other land uses.

https://www.tvnet.lv/8221192/lusis-komente-es-ienistu-kokus
I was drinking birch sap brought in from the countryside and caught myself thinking that over the past few years I seem to have started loathing trees. I could just go outside and give some lime tree a kick. Genuinely disgusting things, trees – from spring right through to autumn they drip all sorts of foul, sticky, stinking muck.

https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/29.03.2025-vietejiem-bazas-par-kokapstrades-razotnes-ieceri-gleznainajos-daugavas-lokos-uznemums-darbus-saskanojis.a593185/
We are not against jobs, we are not against the businessman, but we are against a factory in the “Daugavas loki” bends. We are against a factory in our park. We are against the degradation of cultural and historical heritage. We are against the degradation of the roads. We want to live in a clean environment.

https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/01.04.2025-dabas-draugiem-un-lvm-atskirigs-redzejums-par-meza-celu-tukuma-puse.a593819/
The scenic forest road in Tukums municipality not far from Rindzele Manor is used mainly by a few local residents, forest workers and, at times, holidaymakers and mushroom pickers. And great was their surprise when they arrived here last summer and saw that the familiar forest road was gradually being transformed.

https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/31.03.2025-mezizstrades-lieguma-laika-konstate-parkapumus-tie-trauce-putniem-ligzdot.a593643/
Nature Conservation Agency inspector Fanija Šitca regularly patrols Gauja National Park. Although forestry work is prohibited at this time of year, it nevertheless often goes ahead. The inspector recalls a case two years ago when residents reported tree felling.

Official

https://www.zm.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/mezsaimniecibas-attistiba-2025-gada-investes-virs-13-milj-eiro-valsts-budzeta-naudas
On 1 April the Cabinet of Ministers approved amendments to the procedure for granting state aid for the development of the forest sector, in order to update the 2025 priority support and development programmes for forestry and to allocate state funding.

https://www.zm.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/valsts-meza-dienests-nodod-ukrainai-vienu-automasinu-un-simts-globalas-navigacijas-satelitu-sistemas-iekartas
On 1 April the government approved a Cabinet of Ministers order prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, allowing the ministry to transfer free of charge to the Ukrainian state specialised commercial enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” one vehicle and 100 global navigation satellite system devices held on the balance sheet of the State Forest Service.

https://www.varam.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/projekta-ilgtspejigas-attistibas-zinosanas-riks-partneru-sanaksme-riga-pirmo-testesanas-rezultatu-apkoposana
On 21 March the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development held an in-person meeting in Riga for the partners of the “Sustainable Development Reporting Tool” (SusTool) project, to discuss the first test results for the “ESG Tool” digital tool.

Cooperation

https://www.zm.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/zemkopibas-ministrija-latvijas-zinatnu-akademija-un-latvijas-lauksaimniecibas-un-meza-zinatnu-akademija-paraksta-ligumu-par-sadarbibu-zinatne-un-petnieciba
On 3 April, Minister for Agriculture Armands Krauze, President of the Latvian Academy of Sciences Ivars Kalviņš and President of the Latvian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences Baiba Rivža signed the annual agreement on continuous and full mutual cooperation in science and research.

The economy. Around and about

https://mindlink.lv/sagaidamas-parmainas-tiras-rupniecibas-kurss-11425
Without industry it will not be possible to achieve either the Green Deal or the CID targets. To strengthen industry and competitiveness, the EU needs immediate access to capital, and so the CID provides for mobilising EU-level funding, attracting private investment and improving the state aid framework.

https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/01.04.2025-plano-ieviest-prasibu-konkretu-kapitalsabiedribu-valdes-un-padomes-nodrosinat-dzimumu-lidzsvaru.a593764/
The requirement will apply to companies whose shares are admitted to a regulated market and which, for two consecutive reporting years, have their registered address in Latvia, an average of at least 250 employees, and either a net turnover of at least 50 million euros or a balance sheet total of at least 43 million euros.

https://www.db.lv/zinas/seb-banka-liek-berniem-pildit-klienta-anketu-draud-ar-konta-slegsanu-520789
The editorial team at the magazine “Dienas Bizness” has received an account of the past few months' experience of a father and child who encountered SEB bank's surprising attitude towards an SEB bank customer – a child. It raises questions about whether SEB bank's communication and customer monitoring practices in the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing match reality.

https://www.db.lv/zinas/lietuva-rosina-atlaut-lielo-razotnu-buvniecibu-sakt-bez-atlaujas-520811
In the ministry's assessment, companies operating in free economic zones could also begin construction before receiving all the necessary permits, and a simplified procedure for acquiring land, environmental impact assessment and spatial planning could also be applied to them.

Hunting and the environment

https://dzirkstele.lv/vietejas-zinas/lejasciemietis-realize-ideju-par-noverosanas-torniem/
Ten observation towers have been erected and infrastructure created for a new nature tourism activity in Lejasciems parish. This is a chance not only to enjoy the landscape, but also to explore the local flora and fauna, learn more about natural processes and gain new knowledge about environmental protection.

Environmental issues

https://www.delfi.lv/193/politics/120066882/raidijums-gaujas-nacionala-parka-teritorija-grib-izcirst-piecus-hektarus-meza
The programme explains that neither municipal regulations nor the law can prohibit construction in a specially protected nature territory. The Sigulda building authority will therefore rule very shortly on issuing a building permit to the businessman. The five-hectare forest in the landscape protection zone of Gauja National Park was bought last year for 150,000 by the company “Vidzeme lauks”, which also owns land and a sand quarry right nearby. The company plans to clear the forest, as it wants to build a karting track, buildings and car parks here.

https://www.daba.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/piekrastes-putnu-ligzdosanas-laika-kurzemes-piekraste-sledz-kikana-irbes-un-luznas-grivas
The mouth of the Ķikans is in Slītere National Park. A roughly 600 m stretch of beach and dunes west of the river mouth is closed to visitors; movement along this stretch is permitted only right along the water's edge, without lingering unnecessarily and keeping dogs on a short lead.

https://www.lvm.lv/jaunumi/7558-lvm-austrumvidzemes-mezizstrades-meistars-lielo-ligzdu-atklasanas-rekordists
Every natural value found in the forest by LVM staff is surveyed by one of the LVM environmental experts to confirm that, for example, the species found is a protected one. On receiving the information from Aldis Oldermanis, LVM environmental expert and ornithologist Aigars Kalvāns goes out to survey the nests in the field and establishes a territory and buffer zone for every specially protected bird species to safeguard its habitat.

https://www.zm.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/atbalstis-maksligo-mitraju-izbuvesanu-latvija
On Tuesday 1 April the government approved the procedure for granting state and EU support under the “Creation of Constructed Wetlands” measure, with a view to building green infrastructure in the country by creating constructed wetlands that capture water pollution through surface, subsurface or combined water flow, thereby improving water quality and biodiversity and restoring ecosystems.

https://rigasmezi.lv/jaunumi/rigas-mezi-piesaistot-starptautiskus-ekspertus-uzsak-degradeto-kudras-purvu-atjaunosanas-projektu
“Rīgas meži” owns more than seven thousand hectares of bogs, almost half of which are degraded.

https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/vide-un-dzivnieki/29.03.2025-stingraku-prasibu-del-latvijai-pieaugs-risks-parsniegt-pielaujamo-gaisa-piesarnojumu.a593376/
In Latvia the main problem is particulate pollution, which can enter the human body and cause serious health problems. The sources of pollution vary – industrial sectors, transport, heating systems, ash from forest fires and the burning of dry grass.

Miscellaneous

https://satori.lv/article/pasaules-brinuma-afekts-zimols-latvija
The steady addition of new sites to the list and the tourism risks that come with it were a large part of the motivation for a change in heritage policy, introducing new requirements for nominating sites and creating policy initiatives and support tools aimed at the full involvement of local communities in heritage management and the development of sustainable tourism strategies.

https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/dzive--stils/vesture/30.03.2025-loti-drosmigas-sievietes-tapis-petijums-par-pirmajam-misionarem-no-latvijas.a593459/
As early as the end of the 19th century, women from the territory of Latvia set out on Christian missions to countries such as India, China, Tanzania and Indonesia. Their life stories were explored in a recently defended doctoral thesis by theologian, doctor of humanities and arts and evangelist of the Valdemārpils Lutheran congregation Kristīna Ēce.

https://www.vaad.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/klat-pavasaris-ka-pareizi-izveleties-stadus
Buds are slowly swelling and the first green shoots are pushing up out of the ground. Gardeners are hurrying to plan the purchase of new plants. How can you keep a garden healthy, productive and beautiful and avoid bringing in devastating plant diseases or pests with new plants?

https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/kultura/dizains-un-arhitektura/28.03.2025-industriala-mantojuma-neskaidra-nakotne-jurmala-slegs-9-staciju-ekas.a593405/
Residents of Jūrmala have been angered by the decision of “Latvijas dzelzceļš” to close not only ticket offices but also passenger waiting rooms at several railway stations. This is said to be connected with the refusal of passenger carrier “Vivi” to use these services, supposedly because of insufficient passenger numbers.

https://replay.lsm.lv/lv/skaties/ieraksts/ltv/352814/latvijas-pasts-plano-pardot-dalu-savu-nekustamo-ipasumu-regionos
Latvijas Pasts plans to sell its properties at auction in the near future. As early as the end of last year the company announced the closure of 12 post offices in the regions, and at the beginning of this year many branches were moved to smaller premises.

https://www.tvnet.lv/8220448/medemciema-iedzivotaji-ar-piecgades-kuku-prasa-satiksmes-ministrijas-politisko-atbildibu
Residents of Medemciems want answers about the Ministry of Transport's plans for resolving the Medemciems junction issue, given that Olaine municipality, under a contract with LVC, has prepared a technical and economic feasibility study on building a two-level flyover, which concluded that the economic return indicators are positive and that the project needs to be implemented without delay.

Current affairs in cartoons

https://www.lasi.lv/par-svarigo/karikatura/zime-gatis-sluka-jau-piekta-sezona.26964

https://www.diena.lv/raksts/diena-citi/karikaturista-skats/april-april-14333769

https://www.lasi.lv/par-svarigo/karikatura/zime-gatis-sluka-sodien-jasmejas.26827