Kristīne Vilciņa, head of the development of the nature management plan for the "Garkalnes meži" nature reserve, explained that this is one of the last nesting sites for the European roller in Latvia.

“This was once a Soviet army military base – weapons warehouses, and when the army left, this territory was handed over to the municipality, and the municipality has divided it into compensation lands,” said Vilciņa.

Several plots of land were allocated within the forest area that is a nature reserve; as a result, the owners technically own the forest, but it is of no use. Why was a plot of land allocated that cannot be used?

A representative of the Garkalne regional council, Mārcis Bauze-Krastiņš, explained that the municipality could not have known in advance that a restriction would be placed on the territory.

“I myself have participated in meetings organised by these owners and have tried in various ways to promote a productive and constructive discussion between the Nature Conservation Agency and municipal employees,” stated Bauze-Krastiņš.

The owners are outraged and believe that if equivalent land has been given, it must also be truly equivalent. They would like to make full use of their property, but that is not possible.

As the municipality admitted, land adjacent to the reserve, where private houses have now been built, was initially also planned to be included in the restricted area, but that did not happen.