On 10 May this year, a field seminar was held in Kurzeme as part of the Latvian Forest Programme by the Forest Certification Council of Latvia (LMSP). The seminar was attended by Saeima and local government deputies from the National Alliance, representatives of the NA Board, and staff from the Saeima faction. The aim of the seminar was to familiarise politicians with the sustainable use of forest resources and forest regeneration, as well as to share experience on rational land management methods, concluding with a visit to the National Resistance Movement Museum in Renda, which is housed in the former Abava forestry building.

At the AS “Latvijas valsts meži” “Mazsili” nursery, Māris Liopa (Chairman of the LMSP) and Edvīns Zakovics (LVM Board) gave attendees a short and concise insight into the state of Latvian forests, benefits, plans, losses, goals, and nature conservation in two focused presentations. The main talking points included the increase in forest area in Latvia over the last 90 years, the fact that felling volumes are similar now to pre-war Latvia despite different forest areas, the still high demand for “starter” seedlings and “finished” timber in the market, the fact that Latvian seedlings and timber are excellent and profitable export goods, and that “Latvijas valsts meži” does an excellent job monitoring the “big six” – the capercaillie, black stork, golden eagle, goshawk, white-tailed eagle, and lesser spotted eagle. “Mazsili” manager Kārlis Strazdiņš organised a tour of both the greenhouses and the seedling fields, explaining the various technologies, experience, and the volumes that “Mazsili” prepares for planting during the year (season). The four main species planted and regenerated are pine, spruce, birch, and black alder. It was emphasised that drought and wet conditions do not affect forests as much as they do farmers, but seed yields are highly unpredictable. “Mazsili” exports a sufficient quantity of seedlings (to Scandinavia and Lithuania).

On the way to Renda, in three forest stands where pine is the dominant species, E. Zakovics emphasised the necessity of properly regenerating and utilising it as Latvia’s most valuable and significant species. Seminar participants were able to compare the consequences of using correct and incorrect practices in pine stands. In the Abava Nature Park area, where felling is permitted but only on a selective basis, the pine is “supposedly” regenerating under the canopy of the remaining trees, yet the growth is small and the pine is languishing due to a lack of sunlight. Foresters explained that pine is such a sun-loving species that even slight shading can hinder its growth and development. Why is this not taken into account in the nature park? In the early 1990s, the Latvian-American forester Tālis Kalnārs, who lived and worked in the British Isles, visited Latvia. His experience in forest regeneration was notable, except... he missed an important nuance – it did not apply to sun-loving species. Consequently, an incorrect strategy was chosen for pine in the regeneration areas; instead, according to T. Kalnārs’ experience, spruce, maple, or lime, which are shade-tolerant species, can regenerate. The problems arising for the pine could also be observed in the adjacent stand, where birch has grown lushly beneath the pines, completely suppressing the young pine trees. When comparing a 13-year-old pine in an “incorrectly regenerated” stand to one in a pine stand without shading, the result differed by at least 4-7 times!

On the way, there is another pine stand associated with a historical event – E. Zakovics, together with other forestry specialists, planted it exactly on 4 May 1990, listening to the radio broadcast of the Supreme Council session during the planting.

At the Renda museum, staff spoke about the work of local historians and the post-war struggles in the Kurzeme region. As was emphasised: the post-war period is often spoken of only in terms of deportations, repression, and depression, forgetting the resistance that took place in both Latgale and Kurzeme. Looking at the map, it is clear that in the Kuldīga area alone, there were several groups of national partisans. The museum was created through the collaborative effort of regional patriots, enthusiasts, and interested individuals.