As forest owner Gatis Ziediņš informed the LETA agency, residents of the Gauja National Park (GNP) have collected more than 250 signatures in opposition to the development process and content of the GNP nature conservation plan. A letter was sent to several ministries and the State Chancellery on 22 July.

The primary objections concern the fact that landowners have not been involved in the proposal development process, as well as radical changes to forest management conditions within the GNP territory. The authors of the letter express concern and dissatisfaction that new restrictions are being planned without explaining what the future of the GNP should look like, and they question whether the proposed stricter restrictions will actually contribute to achieving these goals.

The main objections concern the requirement for leaving a “disproportionately large volume of deadwood in forest stands”. As Gatis Ziediņš stated, if approximately 1.5 loads of timber per hectare must be left in the forest, further forest management becomes impossible, as it is unfeasible to move machinery through such debris-strewn forest. Moreover, such requirements are ill-considered, as they significantly increase the risks of pest outbreaks and fire hazards. When forests are not managed, trees also fall onto roads, and there is no requirement for anyone to clear them. This also increases fire risks.

G. Ziediņš points out that the new draft of the plan makes no provision for these risks, which is unacceptable. Furthermore, forest regeneration through planting or sowing is not permitted in certain zones, which means that pine and other tree species characteristic of Latvia will gradually disappear from the GNP, to be replaced by faster-growing hazel, sallow, and grey alder. (...)
Photograph by Benjamin Everett used