In recent years, Latvia has seen a trend of increasing deforestation. According to the State Forest Service (VMD), more than 530,000 hectares have been certified for logging since 2022. Forest managers point out that deforested stands are restored by planting several million new trees every year, but environmentalists worry that new forests are being planted too uniformly, Latvian Television reported on 21 October.
In the Rencēni parish of Valmiera, Latvian State Forests (LVM) is clearing a 104-year-old pine stand of about three hectares. In the future, a new forest will be planted here.
"The total volume of tree felling for the next five years is set by the Cabinet of Ministers, and we are counting on about seven million cubic metres per year during this period. This means that approximately 15-16 thousand hectares of forest are cleared each year," said Vilmārs Katkovskis, Head of Forest Management Planning for the LVM West Vidzeme Region.
According to the VMD data, the number of issued felling certificates has been increasing in recent years, and is likely to be high this year as well. 127 thousand hectares were felled in 2022, and 167 thousand in 2024.
The outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine is cited as one of the reasons.
"By 2022, according to the Forest Service, the total volume of timber felled was about 13 million cubic metres. Most of this timber was diverted for processing, and the volume did not change because processors were able to obtain additional timber from the eastern neighbours. However, the situation changed in 2022, with wood volumes increasing to 15-16 million cubic metres in 2023 and 2024, respectively. This was due to market pressure, not changes in regulations - simply growing demand for wood," explained Normunds Knēts, Head of the Forestry Division at the VMD.
LVM said that the felled areas are being restored. This year, more than 30 million tree seedlings have been planted, with a total area of more than 13 thousand hectares. However, environmentalists stressed that increased logging poses serious risks to biodiversity.
"The forests that are being restored are, unfortunately, quite patchy. There is still a tendency to plant monocultures, and this is not wise - neither from a natural nor from an economic point of view, because such forests are less resistant to pests and other risks," said Madara Merle, advocacy coordinator at the Latvian Fund for Nature.
"Intensive logging has led us to look at forests as carrot fields - just a resource to be harvested. But the forest is also home to species, birds and many habitats. It is important that the forest is continuously maintained - that even if some trees are removed, the overall tree cover remains and the species composition is as diverse as possible. We also need to preserve hollow trees, fallen trees and everything that makes up the natural diversity of the forest," added Valters Kinna, biodiversity expert at Green Freedom.
The VMD cautiously predicted that forest clearing volumes would remain at current levels. The wood is mainly used for energy and heating, as well as in sawmills and furniture production.