To protect valuable spruce forest stands and prevent the threat of disaster posed by the proliferation of the plant-damaging organism – the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) – the government approved an order from the Ministry of Agriculture (ZM) on Tuesday, 28 March, declaring a state of emergency and setting economic activity restrictions and protective measures to reduce the beetle's activity.

The state of emergency has been declared for 230 parishes across 32 municipalities in the Vidzeme, Kurzeme, Zemgale, and Latgale regions, effective from 1 April to 30 June 2023. During this period, economic restrictions and protective measures have been established for valuable spruce stands and their buffer zones, as identified in cooperation with experts from the State Forest Service (VMD), the Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava” (LVMI “Silava”), and other involved parties. The following protection zones have been defined within the emergency area:

• Zone A: includes the valuable spruce forest stand,
• Zone B: includes coniferous forest stands within 100 metres of the outer boundary of the valuable spruce forest stand,
• Zone C: includes spruce forest stands between 101 and 500 metres from the valuable spruce forest stand.

The criteria for determining the forest stands within zones A, B, and C are included in the order.

The following restrictions on economic activity have been set for the protection zones around valuable spruce stands:

• In zones A and B, logging is prohibited, with the exception of felling trees recently infested by the bark beetle, in accordance with the requirements set out in the order,
• In zone C, logging is prohibited for thinning, selective felling, clear-cutting, and reconstruction felling in areas smaller than 0.8 hectares.

Logging restrictions near valuable spruce stands have been established to ensure that terpenes do not attract the bark beetle and to keep the stands protected.

Protective measures have been defined for zones A, B, and C to limit damage from bark beetles. These state that upon receipt of a sanitary opinion from the VMD, it is permitted to fell trees recently infested by the bark beetle through sanitary clear-cutting, provided the areas meet the criteria mentioned in the order.

Pheromone traps must be placed in relevant coniferous clear-cut areas. The operation of pheromone traps in state-owned forests and forests owned by the Riga municipality is provided by the forest manager, and in forests not mentioned above, by the State Forest Service.

To ensure the immediate implementation of measures during the state of emergency, the VMD will issue confirmation for sanitary clear-cutting within five working days of receiving an application, and the confirmation remains valid for two months from the date of the decision.

If a forest owner or legal possessor holds a valid permit for logging in zones A, B, or C, and logging is prohibited under this order, the VMD shall, within 10 days of the order coming into effect, issue a decision to suspend the logging permit for the duration of the state of emergency.

In specially protected nature areas or their functional zones that fall within zones A, B, or C, where sanitary felling is permitted based on a VMD sanitary opinion, it is permitted to fell spruces recently infested by the bark beetle through sanitary clear-cutting, while preserving all viable trees of other species. The VMD issues the logging confirmation after receiving a positive opinion from the Nature Conservation Agency. When submitting an application for sanitary clear-cutting in the Gauja National Park and Ķemeri National Park, there is no requirement to provide information on trees marked for removal in the field.

Information regarding the protection zones is available in the State Forest Register and will also be available on LVM GEO.

The state of emergency has been declared based on proposals submitted by the VMD regarding damage caused by the European spruce bark beetle and the recommendation to declare an emergency in forests for 2023, as well as data from the 2022 LVMI “Silava” monitoring of biotic risk factors in forestry and forecasts for bark beetle proliferation in 2023.

The order “On the Declaration of a State of Emergency” will come into effect on 1 April and will be published in the official gazette “Latvijas Vēstnesis”.