The Forest Day Committee has determined the 2020 laureates of the Forest Industry Annual Award 'Zelta čiekurs' in the categories 'For Lifetime Contribution', 'For Innovative Entrepreneurship', 'For Sustainable Management', and 'For Scientific Contribution to the Development of the Industry'. The 'Zelta čiekurs' award is the annual highest recognition of the forest industry for significant achievements and contribution to the industry.

The 'Zelta čiekurs' award in the category 'For Lifetime Contribution', which is granted for a significant lifetime contribution to the development of the industry, will be received by outstanding industry figures: forester Astra Boķe, scientist Gaļina Dobele, forester Edvīns Ģērmanis, educator and associate professor at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies Faculty of Forestry Ziedonis Sarmulis, and forester (specialist in forest breeding and maintenance of forest tree seed bases) Gundega Vītola.

The laureates in the category 'For Innovative Entrepreneurship' are SIA “Cewood”, SIA “Pavasars Housing Construction”, and SIA “UOT”.

In the category 'For Scientific Contribution to the Development of the Industry', the laureates are researcher Jānis Donis from the Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”, leading researcher Aleksejs Nipers from the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, and the Polymer Laboratory team of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC): LSIWC director, Head of the Polymer Laboratory, Corresponding Member of the LAS Dr.sc.ing. Uģis Cābulis, leading researcher at the Polymer Laboratory PhD Anda Fridrihsone, leading researcher at the Polymer Laboratory PhD Miķelis Kirpļuks, and researcher at the Polymer Laboratory PhD Aiga Ivdre.

The laureates in the category 'For Sustainable Management' are Dzintars Laivenieks, Gatis Lācis, and Atis Poga.

It is planned that the winners of the 'Zelta čiekurs' and 'Zelta čiekuriņš' annual awards will be announced during a TV programme on the ReTV channel on Monday, 22 February 2021, at 21:25. Three rebroadcasts of the programme are scheduled:

• Friday, 26.02.2021, at 13:30,
• Saturday, 27.02.2021, at 19:00,
• Sunday, 28.02.2021, at 11:00.

The 'Zelta čiekurs' (Golden Pinecone) embodies simplicity, openness, and the beauty of the Latvian forest: simple in soul, refined in form, open as the sun, warm as a home blessing, and resilient as a Latvian. There is no more precise term for a person's love for the forest, just as there is no better award to reward a person's work for the benefit of the Latvian forest.