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Energy independence is the greatest benefit of state forest management, according to NRA.lv readers who gave their views in a survey published on the portal. Asked what the greatest benefit of managing Latvia's state forests is, 28% of readers named securing energy independence. This means that the public values timber as an outstanding local resource for producing energy — for example, for generating heat.
Survey respondents named the wide range of opportunities for recreation in nature (24%) and the role of forests in mitigating climate change (19%) as the second and third most significant benefits of sustainable state forest management. Members of the public also value the dividend payments made into the state budget out of the profits earned by AS “Latvijas valsts meži”, which fund salaries for teachers and medical staff, among others — 17% of readers named this as the greatest benefit of state forest management.
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