The Nature Conservation Agency project LatViaNature has launched the testing of new voluntary collaboration models with private landowners in Latvia – an approach to nature conservation based on contractual relations. Two pilot programmes have been created – “Ziedu pļavas” (Flower Meadows) and “Dzīvais mežs” (Living Forest) – to promote biodiversity in private permanent grasslands and forests outside protected nature areas, with owners voluntarily committing to improving biodiversity on their properties. The testing of these new collaboration models will take place across 140 farms throughout Latvia, covering more than 1000 ha of private grassland and forest territories. Collaboration agreements have been signed with the farms for participation in four-year pilot programmes, providing not only individual consultations from nature experts but also financial support linked to the results achieved in preserving natural values.
Testing the new collaboration models in pilot programmes will allow for the preparation of proposals to improve motivational mechanisms at the national level, ensuring more effective engagement of private landowners in the preservation of natural values.
“Research shows that a significant portion of grassland and forest owners would gladly pay more attention to preserving natural values on their properties if consultative and financial support were available. In practice, we also observed that landowners have a great interest in preserving natural values on their land – the number of applications received for the grassland pilot programme was almost four times higher than we could accommodate, and twice as high for the forest programme. This confirms that conservation programmes based on landowner initiative are in demand in Latvia and represent another way to promote the preservation of Latvia's natural values. Furthermore, this is an opportunity to test another innovation – linking support payments directly to the results achieved in improving biodiversity,” says Ģirts Baranovskis, Head of the Compensation Department at LatViaNature.
The total funding available for the programmes is 849 thousand euros (405 thousand euros for grasslands and 444 thousand euros for forests). Participation is voluntary and based on contracts running from 2023 to 2027. Recruitment for the programmes was announced in the autumn of 2022; from the farms that applied, those meeting specific criteria were selected, contracts were concluded this year, and intake into the programmes has now closed.
In the “Ziedu pļavas” programme, support payments depend on results
The goal of the “Ziedu pļavas” programme is to help owners managing permanent grasslands with signs of naturalisation to reach the level of EU-importance grassland habitats, i.e., the quality of biologically valuable grasslands, so that they may receive permanent support for the preservation of natural values in the future. 70 farms from all over Latvia have been accepted into the programme, with a total area of 675 hectares.
This programme is testing an innovative approach to support payments in Latvia, where the amount of support (€87–203 per hectare per year) is determined by the result achieved – the greater the biodiversity achieved, the more significant the financial support.
Programme participants take part in training on biodiversity promotion and assessment, receive consultations from a certified grassland expert, and are provided with individually developed grassland management plans. The quality of the grassland structure and the occurrence of species characteristic of natural grasslands are evaluated through annual monitoring carried out by experts and the landowners themselves.
“Dzīvais mežs” – a programme for the preservation and development of biologically valuable forests
70 forest properties from across Latvia with a total area of 349 hectares have been accepted into the “Dzīvais mežs” programme. The programme has three sub-programmes: “Habitat Preservation”, aimed at saving the most biologically valuable forest stands; “Habitat Creation” – a sub-programme for the targeted increase of biodiversity in the forest; and “Nature-friendly Forestry”, which aims to balance the interests of forestry and the preservation of natural values.
“Dzīvais mežs” introduces a contractual approach to nature conservation for the first time in Latvia. The programme involves forest owners whose forests are not located in specially protected nature areas, but who commit to observing a significantly higher standard of biodiversity preservation in their forests than required by regulations.
In the programme, forest owners are provided with consultative support and individually calculated financial support based on a methodology developed by experts. Additionally, training seminars on promoting biodiversity are organised for forest owners, and they are provided with consultations from a certified forestry expert and an individually developed forest management plan to preserve and improve biodiversity in the forest.
About the development of the programmes
The LatViaNature programmes “Ziedu pļavas” and “Dzīvais mežs” were developed by researching motivational mechanisms for biodiversity promotion on private lands in other countries, as well as in cooperation with the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences and the Latvian Rural Advisory and Education Centre, by conducting studies on the opinions of forest and grassland owners regarding opportunities to promote biodiversity, their willingness to do so on their properties, and the necessary support measures.
Both pilot programmes are coordinated by the Nature Conservation Agency project LIFE-IP LatViaNature. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, the Latvian Rural Advisory and Education Centre and its Forest Advisory Service Centre, the University of Latvia, the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, and the World Wide Fund for Nature participated in the development of the programmes.