Riga, October 2019

To the President of the State, Egils Levits

To the Speaker of the Saeima, Ināra Mūrniece

To the Prime Minister, Krišjānis Kariņš

To the Minister of Agriculture, Kaspars Gerhards

Open letter from experienced foresters on sustainable and smart management of Latvia's forests

Honourable Mr President,

Honourable Speaker of the Saeima, representatives of the Government and the Saeima,

Nowadays, forests cover more than half of Latvia's territory, which is the largest forest area in the last 250 years. According to research conducted by the Latvian State Forest Research Institute 'Silava', the increment in the growing stock of Latvian forest trees, i.e., the wood produced by trees during the growth process, is approximately 26 million cubic metres per year. Of this, we use about 16 to 17 million cubic metres, while at least 6 million cubic metres of wood die due to other factors such as insects, diseases, wind, and snow. As a result, the wood stock in Latvian forests increases by approximately 3 to 4 million cubic metres each year.

We, as foresters with many years of experience in forest management, wish to draw your attention to considerations regarding sustainable and smart forest management. Thanks to this, our country can experience prosperity and receive gratitude from our grandchildren's grandchildren.

The greatest economic resource of any country is land. It must be managed wisely. Thanks to forest breeding and forest science, faster forest rotation is possible – that is, faster tree growth over a shorter period, thus generating greater income for the state and its residents. If we can praise a Latvian farmer for timely and increased harvesting, then it is unclear why this is criticised when it comes to foresters who strive to grow a productive forest (a goal easily attainable under Latvian conditions, where the standing volume at felling age is 500 to 600 cubic metres of wood per hectare). Currently, the standing volume in stands ready for felling is around 300 cubic metres per hectare. Therefore, we can obtain more from a well-tended forest!

The forest harvest must be collected in a timely manner; it is not sensible to over-mature trees, as they then begin to lose their value or even die.

We are all directly or indirectly involved in the forest's economic activity cycle – both as workers and as consumers.

THE FOREST MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO EACH OF US!

For some, the forest is a workplace where they invest a significant part of their lives by applying their professional knowledge and skills. Understanding how to manage a forest is changing thanks to global experience and our own accumulated insights. It is important that our contribution carefully continues what previous generations have done and that there is a legacy to follow.

On the other hand, another part of society values the forest as a place for recreation, also collecting the desired forest produce, and we in Latvia have such opportunities! Meanwhile, for others, it is significant that there are approximately 1.7 hectares of forest per inhabitant. We are rich in this!

In modern society, incorrect terms have developed in relation to forest management. One of them is 'to clear-cut a forest' – this means creating a building site or agricultural land in place of a forest.

The second term is 'to fell a forest' – here it must be explained that one does not fell the forest, but rather fells the trees that are part of the forest. Trees are the forest's harvest, and it must be collected!

It is known that tree felling has regularly taken place in all Latvian forest areas over the last 200 years. Scientists acknowledge that in Latvia, natural forests, or those untouched by human activity, account for 0.5%, with economic activity having occurred on the remaining area. Therefore, there are effectively no natural forest habitats untouched by economic activity in Latvia. For various plant and animal species, the forest is needed as a habitat in all stages of its development.

In our opinion, NATURE CONSERVATION MUST BE WISELY CONSIDERED, SCIENTIFICALLY GROUNDED, AND BALANCED TO PRESERVE BIODIVERSITY WHILE RESPECTING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INTERESTS. We are not against the creation of nature conservation areas, but we believe that the 'rules of the game' must be clearly known and adhered to. Every time a new nature conservation area is created, it is essential to define its purpose, the measures for achieving that goal, and to monitor their implementation.

For example, in the early 2000s, after a thinning operation in a forest, the pasqueflower was found and, with the goal of protecting it, a micro-reserve was created, prohibiting further economic activity. Upon inspecting the area a few years later, it was found that the vitality of the pasqueflower had decreased. The trees had grown better after the thinning, creating larger crowns, and thus the pasqueflower began to lack light. Following windthrow in 2005, when some trees fell, light openings were created in this stand where the pasqueflower began to grow well again. When designating the micro-reserve, economic activity – tree felling – should have been provided for to ensure the amount of light needed by the protected species.

Society and the state administration must realise that any decision regarding additional restrictions on economic activity causes losses to the state. These are unused resources, lost jobs, and unrealised taxes that make up the state budget, from which salaries are paid to doctors, teachers, and professionals in other respected fields. The forestry sector provides job opportunities and competitive wages to a large number of residents in Latvia's regions, preserving the local labour market.

The expansion of scientifically unjustified nature conservation areas and the setting of various restrictions is unacceptable, as we cannot afford to think first about an insect and only then about a human. One must think at a state level. Before making decisions on restricting economic activity, one must evaluate what the consequences will be and what losses it will create. By increasing the areas where economic activity is prohibited or restricted, the number of jobs in Latvia and the revenue for the state budget are reduced.

We are all in the same forest 'boat' and we are all beneficiaries of the forest. Let us not try to rock this boat and drastically change its course. The forest is needed by us all, so let us learn together to understand it and live alongside it!

WE BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD FINALLY START THINKING ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF THE POPULATION AND MAKE A DECISION ON THE PROPORTIONAL RATIO OF NATURE CONSERVATION AREAS TO FOREST AREAS INTENDED FOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. Until now, the proportion of such division (commercial forests/habitats) has not been determined, and therefore sustainable forest management by forest managers is hindered. Currently, there are approximately 1.9 million inhabitants in Latvia and 3.3 million hectares of forest. Economic activity is possible in only nearly 2 million hectares of forest.

OUR COUNTRY IS RICH IN FORESTS, SO LET US WISELY USE THE LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO US!