Forest owners highlight the passive role of responsible state authorities in this problematic situation, even though the tools and opportunities to implement collaboration-based models for nature conservation in private forests outside protected areas do exist.

The head of the Forest Owners Association of Latvia, Arnis Muižnieks, emphasises that there are very good and successful examples in several European countries where the state implements nature conservation goals on private property in a respectful, agreement-based manner. Currently, in Latvia, forest owners feel disenfranchised because the discovery of special natural values on their property can mean the unconditional expropriation of management rights in the form of a micro-reserve.