An interview with Vivita Vāvere Ozola, a forest owner

I became acquainted with the forestry sector in childhood; my father was a forester, and from the age of three, I often accompanied him on his rounds – the beginning of my interest in the forest as an ecosystem in all its stages of development. At that time, it was the Aizkraukle district, Sece (now – Jaunjelgava municipality). When I went to study in Riga, I chose law. The reasoning was practical – a legal education provides broad opportunities, and legal knowledge would be a foundation for future work. During my studies, I initially specialised in criminal law, but while working in this field, I concluded that this environment was not for me, which led me to switch to commercial law during my master's studies. I was 24 years old when I ended up in a forest industry company.

What kind of forests do you own?

Right there in the Sece area, in Sēlija, to maintain a connection with my native region. The areas I own are not contiguous, but – if one can say so – my ancestral home is at the centre of the properties. I am often on my lands; I look after the forests, tend to young stands and afforest land not suitable for agriculture. I know the forests of Sēlija quite well!

I am interested in the development of this region. I want to maintain a tie to my birthplace. I try to buy untended, neglected areas that no one else needs, clearing and afforesting them. I plan for the long term. In the past, there were many abandoned, unkempt areas. Now, the forests and fields of Sēlija are mostly well-tended, and the land is being worked. The main sectors where people work are agriculture and forestry; the division between the two sectors is clearly visible. Sēlija (Augšzeme) is included in various plans and documents as part of the Zemgale region, which is considered one of the most intensive agricultural centres in Latvia. One could say that in the Jaunjelgava municipality, where my forests grow, there is a certain competition or rivalry between farmers and foresters. Over what? Over the land! For example, according to the territorial plan of the Jaunjelgava municipality, the afforestation of agricultural land is prohibited if the fertility of the agricultural land is 32 points or higher, except for peatlands. It must be said that part of the land has become overgrown and is no longer suitable for agriculture. On the other hand, the quality rating of agricultural land in points is determined by the State Land Service, using cartographic materials as a basis, carrying out the assessment desk-based without surveying the land units in situ. As a result, the situation on the ground does not correspond to the situation in the cartographic materials, which is why a series of measures must be taken to meet the afforestation criteria.

During which period did the land begin to become overgrown?

Looking at the vegetation – the 60s and 70s. A lot depends on the hydrological regime – where the area is wetter, more scrubland is visible, and a forest has not formed.

What does a forest owner understand by the terms frequently used lately: "nature conservation"?

In these two words (nature conservation), I think, it is a question of proportionality and understanding – of preservation and oversight. I think that more than once, when saying "nature conservation" or "biodiversity", we are thinking of something very familiar and understandable, but in essence, it is the interaction between nature and man. I think there is currently no conceptual clarity in Latvia as to what "nature conservation" means, what to do with it and how to do it correctly. At the moment, it is a conflict of values, where each participant has different needs and interests.

Theoretically, we are promised clarity once the much-discussed habitat inventory (the so-called "nature census") is completed. In my opinion, education and knowledge are very important here – for both the public and forest owners! To better understand how processes in nature occur and how they are assessed, I recently participated in a training course on identifying biologically valuable forest habitats so that I could personally identify habitats on my properties or before purchasing a property as far as possible. Additionally, I read books on identifying and preserving protected habitats, while simultaneously dedicating time to researching my properties. In my opinion, this is the best thing a forest owner can do: go out and walk it themselves and assess it with a "knowledgeable (trained) eye" as far as their capabilities allow! At the moment, I conclude that there are no valuable habitats in my forests.

Of course, we must also talk more widely about and with schools and universities so that a young person, the future forest sector worker, hunter or forest owner, understands "who is who" in the sector. So that they have a foundation – knowledge and understanding: of what is being discussed, what is being argued about, what needs to be done, what the essence of the problem is, what is valuable, what is to be tended and what is to be protected! The forest sector has become modern. Strong associations and cooperatives have been created with a view to progressive forestry and the education of forest owners.

Who helps with forestry work in Sēlija?

Looking from a forestry perspective, the Aizkraukle, Jaunjelgava and Jēkabpils municipalities are "full" of good forestry specialists who offer their services. Of course, the question of price and costs is always important, but one cannot complain – it is possible to find good, professional labour for forest work, and it is not difficult!

Do you have to deal with the aforementioned land drainage matters?

Yes! If we are talking about the purchase of neglected territory, one of the first things I evaluate is the land drainage cadastre. I have observed that when land drainage systems were built in the 70s and 80s, closed drainage systems were used. Often, they no longer function or work on the ground, but in the land drainage cadastre, the land is shown as drained with working land drainage systems. This means that, in practice, afforestation in such areas can only be carried out in accordance with the technical specifications issued by the State-owned company "Zemkopības ministrijas nekustamie īpašumi", as a result of which afforestation is considerably more expensive and complicated. The second option is to choose a certified drainage engineer who prepares an inventory, and the landowner submits it to the State-owned company "Zemkopības ministrijas nekustamie īpašumi", which then "removes" the non-functioning drainage systems from the cadastre. Consequently, the landowner must again carry out a series of measures to bring the situation "on paper" into line with the situation on the ground.

What are the neighbouring farmers doing in the municipality?

They are working very intensively! They mostly grow cereals and rapeseed – as I said – the land is quite fertile. There is no free agricultural land!

What grows and what is being planted in the forests?

In the forests of Sēlija, pine and spruce mostly grow. In my forests, there are both coniferous and deciduous trees, depending on the situation and growth conditions. Before deciding whether to regenerate a stand naturally or by planting, I look at which tree species grew there before the clear-cut. I do not plant conifers in place of grey alder stands. Regarding aspen, which is the fastest-growing tree species in the Latvian climate, the establishment or tending of stands has become impossible due to the increasing number of ungulates. Currently, ungulates are destroying young aspen stands on a massive scale. I think that for this reason, the area of these stands in Latvia will shrink in the near future. My observation: many forest owners leave clear-cut areas to regenerate naturally, and in such areas, it is mainly grey alder that regenerates. I can only repeat that forest owners must use the available courses and training to supplement their knowledge and promote an increase in "general" forestry education. I recently attended courses in Madona on establishing forest plantations. I was pleased that the training group was "full" of forest owners of various ages; several forest owners who wanted to learn were not even able to participate! So, forest owners do want to educate themselves!

We recently spoke with Varis Sīpols, who lives and works in the Jaunjelgava municipality. Varis mentioned bears he had recently encountered. Have you had such an experience?

I have not seen any bears. As I mentioned, there are quite a lot of ungulates in our area, which tend to feast in young stands, but I have not found any special nature values.

I have a beautiful marsh on my property. About 5 hectares in size. The various bog plants make the marsh beautiful. Moose like to stay there, gnawing on the young pines. I try to find the time to walk in this place at least a few times a year. In fact, it is an area that has become boggy, which the previous owner, living in Riga, did not look after sufficiently, as a result of which beavers have done a great job. Currently, there are no beavers there, but the marsh has remained! It is not in my plans to change the hydrological regime; I will leave this area as natural as possible. If the situation changes naturally, as a result of drought or precipitation, I will see.

Have you happened to encounter a hazel grouse while hunting or inspecting the forest?

As the bird of the year, more attention has been paid to the hazel grouse. This April, using the methodology recommended by the Latvian Ornithological Society for hazel grouse monitoring, I walked through several potential hazel grouse habitats in my neighbourhood, but I did not hear or see them. As I said, I am in my forests in Sece relatively often, but somehow I have not seen a hazel grouse in recent years.

In short – who in your opinion should be called an expert?

I doubt we will find a definition of an expert amidst the current variety of experts. This term has lost its boundaries...