Forest management is no longer imaginable without the use of the latest technology, and in the operations of a/s “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM), unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are being used increasingly widely. For a large proportion of LVM employees, it has become an indispensable work tool, allowing them to cover long distances in a short time, reach inaccessible places, and promptly obtain information essential for their work.

“The drone, of course, is just one tool; the clinometer and Bitterlich relascope will be needed in the forest for a long time to come, just as the human mind will be needed, yet only imagination limits the field of drone application. Currently, in LVM's day-to-day work, drones are used for monitoring large nests, inspecting forest drainage systems, collecting forest inventory data, planning forestry work, and in other areas. Drones play an important role in emergency situations – when it is necessary to react quickly in cases of fire and storm damage. For fire monitoring, drones equipped with thermal cameras are used,” explains LVM development project manager Armands Berķis.