Forest represent one of the major Lithuanian natural resources serving for the welfare of the state and its citizens, preserving the stability of the landscape and environment quality. Despite the forest ownership form, forest, primarily, is the national property that shall be preserved for the future generations at the same meeting the ecological, economic and social needs of the society. Being a source of supply with timber and other forest products, forest is the essential factor of the ecological balance providing living places for numerous animal and plant species, stopping the soil erosion, absorbing the carbon dioxide and purifying the air, protecting the ground and the surface waters, providing opportunities for recreation of the urban and rural people.
At the present time, forests in Lithuania cover about 2 million hectares, or about 31 per cent of the territory of the country. The total timber volume accumulated in the forests of the country reaches 382.6 million m3. Forest area per one inhabitant of the country reach 0.59 hectare or 110 m3 of timber volume accordingly. The forest resources permanently increased during the last fifty years and, at present time, they are sufficient for ensuring a balanced fulfilment of the public needs.
At the same time forestry in Lithuania faces many challenges. These, which are the priorities to deal with for the coming decade, range from newly emerged such as completing of Land (forest) Reform due to which some of the forest resources of the country are used insufficiently, developing of timber industry, especially that of small-sized wood processing, increasing of use of small-sized round wood and residual products for the energetic purposes, combating illegal logging to those present in forests independently from the current socio-economic processes, such as combating forest fires, pollution of forests.
With the purpose of ensuring a sustainable forestry development a long-term forestry policy has been formed in Lithuania in compliance to the policies of other branches of the economy of the country, based on the traditions of the country and requirements of the European Union legal norms, international conventions, resolutions, agreements, programmes, and national legal acts. The main objective of the Strategy is to define the major instruments for the implementation of the forestry policy for the period until the year of 2015.
Several important strategic forestry development objectives could be mentioned, for instance: participation of the society in the solution of the major forestry issues, rational, sustainable and continuous use of the forest resources and increase of the forest productivity, ensuring of stability of forest ecosystems, preservation of the biodiversity and improvement of forest healthiness, satisfying of the general forest-related society needs and etc. A Plan of Actions and Measures shall be concluded for the implementation of the strategic forestry development objectives which include definite actions and means for the development of separate strategic objectives establishing the period for the implementation of these means and defining the executives in charge. The Plan of Actions and Measures has been approved at the end of 2002.
Within the last few years, remarkable progress was made to develop legal and regulatory framework, economic policy, financial instruments and informational means in the forestry sector. The new edition of Forest Law was passed by the Parliament on 10th April 2001. In new edition of Forest Law the principles of sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation were introduced in a broader scale. The Forest Law covers all main forestry issues: trends of forestry policy, forest ownership, forest management and supervision, economic regulation of forestry, forest use, regeneration, growing and felling, forest protection etc.
The implementation phase of general issues of forestry policy on a regional level was started through improving forest management planning methods and corresponding forest management activities. Several corresponding regulations and rules ensuring and enhancing sustainable forest management were updated (Regulations on Management and Use of Private Forests, Regulation on Preparation of Forest Management Plans and etc.).
As a new Policy has been approved only recently, it is imortant to monitor its implementation to ensure that not only the right regulatory environment would be created, but that policies would be applied in practice. This, as well as assurance of sustainable forest management, is under responsibility of the Ministry of Environment.
Total forestland area has been expanding from 1948 and in 2003 it comprised 2,045,300 ha.
Dynamics of forest coverage, 1938 - 2003
Fellings in Lithuania, 1993-2002
In 2002 by all types of fellings 3.9 mill. m3 were harvested in state forests and approx. 2.4 mill. m3 in private forests. It shall be noted that the annual felling amount in the forests of the country was 3.0-3.2 million m3 10 years ago. Due to the increasing areas of premature and mature forest stands and their volumes in the forests of the country, forest cutting volumes are gradually increasing. During the recent years, about 6 million m3 of timber was cut in the Lithuanian forests annually, whereas the total annual current timber increment reached 11.7 million m3. Forest cutting volumes might reach 6.5 - 7 million m3 per year in the nearest future.
71.0 % of forest lands are covered by the fourth-group (commercial) forests, in which the main objective of the economic activities is to form productive forest stands for a permanent timber supply. Growing stock volume is 196 m3/ha, with the average current increment reaching 6.2 m3/ha annually.
Compared to 1 January 1998, forest land area distribution by forest groups has changed in favour of strict nature reserve, special purpose and protective forests (I, II and III groups), which has expanded from 614,000 ha to 656,000 ha over the last five years. The share of these forests on the total forest land area increased from 28,6% to 30,1%.
About 19% of all Lithuanian forests are under protected territories, with forests at the same time making up about 50 % of the total protected areas. The Lithuanian forests can be described for a variety of species and mixtures.
With higher cutting volumes, roundwood supply on domestic market has also increased. In 2002 roundwood supply in Lithuania augmented to 6,4 mill.m³. Major portion of this timber was harvested in local forests. Local consumers purchased
major part of roundwood and export made up one fifth - 1,4 mill.m³. Import of roundwood since 1998 has been growing and in 2002 it has reached 104 th. m3.
Industrial roundwood consumption mill. m3, 1989-2002
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
|
Sawmilling |
2,6 |
2,8 |
2,9 |
2,6 |
2,6 |
2,7 |
2,5 |
2,6 |
domestic |
2,6 |
2,8 |
2,8 |
2,5 |
2,5 |
2,6 |
2,4 |
2,5 |
imported |
- |
- |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
Wood-based panel industry |
0,4 |
0,5 |
0,6 |
0,5 |
0,3 |
0,4 |
0,5 |
0,5 |
Plywood |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,2 |
0,2 |
Particleboard |
0,1 |
0,2 |
0,3 |
0,2 |
0,1 |
0,2 |
0,2 |
0,2 |
Fibreboard |
0,2 |
0,2 |
0,2 |
0,2 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
0,1 |
Pulp industry |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
domestic |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
imported |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Forest industry, total |
3,0 |
3,3 |
3,5 |
3,1 |
2,9 |
3,1 |
3,0 |
3,1 |
Roundwood removals and trade 1970-2002
Forestry and forest industry play an important role in Lithuanian economy. In recent years the value added in forest sector was steadily increasing and contributed by about 3,6% to the gross domestic product in 2002. In 2002 gross value added in forestry and forest industry amounted to 1,616 million Lt, by 14% more as compared to 2001.
Year |
Gross domestic product (GDP) at market prices |
Value added, gross at basic prices |
||||||||
All activities |
Forestry |
Woodworking industry |
Pulp and paper industry |
Furniture industry |
||||||
mill.Lt |
mill.Lt |
% |
mill.Lt |
% |
mill.Lt |
% |
mill.Lt |
% |
||
1995 |
24781,0 |
22660 |
233,8 |
1,0 |
221,7 |
1,0 |
123,1 |
0,5 |
184 |
0,8 |
1996 |
31529,4 |
28951,1 |
234,3 |
0,8 |
263,3 |
0,9 |
124 |
0,4 |
190 |
0,7 |
1997 |
38519,8 |
34411,1 |
237,1 |
0,7 |
304,8 |
0,9 |
132,7 |
0,4 |
250 |
0,7 |
1998 |
43554,5 |
38469,7 |
242,8 |
0,6 |
368,8 |
1,0 |
125,9 |
0,3 |
313 |
0,8 |
1999 |
42608,3 |
37909,3 |
200,4 |
0,5 |
407,4 |
1,1 |
99 |
0,3 |
314 |
0,8 |
2000 |
44697,8 |
40223,8 |
248,9 |
0,6 |
531,1 |
1,3 |
116,7 |
0,3 |
357 |
0,9 |
2001 |
47497,7 |
42728,3 |
250,6 |
0,6 |
619,4 |
1,4 |
138,2 |
0,3 |
407 |
1,0 |
2002 |
50678,6 |
44975,4 |
273,8 |
0,6 |
709,0 |
1,6 |
134,6 |
0,3 |
499 |
1,1 |
Share of forest sector in gross domestic product, 1995-2002
The most important and key documents on forest issues have been approved in Lithuania recently. The Lithuanian Forest Policy and its Implementation Strategy was approved in 2002. Among important strategic forest development issues could be mentioned involvement of the society in the decision-making process of the major forest issues, rational, sustainable and continuous use of the forest resources and increase of the forest productivity, ensuring the stability of forest ecosystems, preservation of the biodiversity and improvement of forest healthiness, meeting the general forest-related society needs, increase of forest coverage and etc.
At present, one of the highest priority issues is abandoned and unusable agricultural land, which makes about 400-500 thousand hectares, which could be afforestated. The Programme on Increase of Forest Coverage was approved in 2002. The Program sets up the main principles, measures and procedures for increase of forest coverage in Lithuania through afforestation of former agricultural land. This program foresees the actions aimed to increase the forest coverage by 3 % till the year 2020. This will increase the ecological stability of the country as well as economically rational use of uncultivated and poor-quality soils taking into regard the environmental, landscape formation, protection of the cultural heritage, tourism development and other factors and ensure the role of forests in the general rural development (incomes, work places, social and economic stability).
In Lithuania a slow-proceeding Land (forest) Reform has a negative effect on sustainability as some of the forest resources of the country are used insufficiently. The Land (forest) Reform lasts for ten years already. However, the ownership rights were restored to half of the forests areas only, i.e. for the areas in which private ownership rights could be restored. About 380 thousand hectares of forests are reserved for the restitution of the ownership rights and there are no economic or commercial activities performed in these areas. These areas are often more vulnerable to theft than areas where a designated owner is interested in its protection. Lack of management in areas pending restitution may also in the long run affect negatively the timber production potential.
In the Lithuanian Forest Policy and its Implementation Strategy there is stated an objective after the completion of the Land (and forest) Reform to create equal legal conditions for natural and legal persons to obtain former reserved forest for the restitution of the ownership rights not taken by the owners, the forests which are not rational for the use of the state forest managers, and providing a priority to the state in protected areas. It is aimed for renewal of forest management activities in the forests reserved for the restitution of the ownership rights seeking to include these, as soon as possible, into forest resource use and ensure forestry incomes from these forests after the completion of the Land (forest) Reform.
During the course of the Land (forest) Reform, small forest ownerships emerged (as for January 01, 2003, the average size of a private forest holding was about 4.5 ha), the network of forest owners co-operatives and other economic entities developed very slowly, and the associations and other organizations of private forest owners covers approximately only two percent of private forest owners. At present time, about 30 %, and after the completion of the reform - 40-45% of the Lithuanian forests with all their functions they perform will be managed by private forest owners, the estates of which are small-sized, giving little income, their forest management knowledge is insufficient, and the ownership duty concept is poorly developed for ensuring an observance of the sustainable forest management principles. It is foreseen creation of legal and economic preconditions promoting merging of small-sized forest holdings, association and co-operation of the forest owners.
For improvement of the economic efficiency of forestry the use of more economically efficient forest machinery and technologies by applying of low-cost demanding and ecologically-sound forestry management systems (for example, the natural regeneration) will be promoted as it is stated in the Strategy. State forest management activities in state forests shall be improved, including reforestation, maintenance, protection, rational use of forest resources, trade in round wood and other forest resources as well as low-quality wood and fuel-wood selling as non-cut forest.
Wood processing industry has developed during the last decade, however too much of roundwood and primarily-processed wood is exported. The greater part of the prepared roundwood is sold for the local market with quite a significant quantity exported. In 2001, 1.3 million m3 of the round wood and about 750 thousand m3 of sawn timber products was exported abroad (this quantity equals to approximately two-thirds of the total sawn-timber produced in the country). In the Strategy there is stated an objective for the coming years to promote export of wood products.
Pulpwood makes up the majority of the exported round wood, the possibilities of the use of which are very limited in the country. At the present time, the exports of the pulpwood reached 1 million m3 per year. Other types of small-sized round wood and residual products are not used efficiently in the country. It is aimed to increase a rational use of small-sized wood and felling residues inside the domestic market by developing the capacity of the wood processing industry and use of this type of wood for the energetic purposes. There has been made study on technological, organisational as well as financial aspects of wood fuel production, aiming to promote use of fuel wood.
Seeking to ensure participation of the society in the solution of the major forestry issues, performing of public opinion polls and sociological researches, organising of discussions in the periodical press and other means of mass media on the forestry issues, analysis and application of the obtained information at taking the state-governing decisions will be promoted as well as co-operation of foresters and interested groups of the society for co-ordination of forestry development and solving problematic forestry issues.
In the context of rural development forestry plays an important role therefore among strategic forestry objectives there are encountered such as creation of new working places in the forestry sector by developing various forest businesses, economical promotion of these businesses (subsidies, preferential credits, tax privileges and etc.) in the rural development context, promotion of recreational, hunting and other service providing to the society and promotion of non-wood forest product development in the private and state forestry sector, improvement of the social security for those working in the forest sector seeking to create better work safety conditions for both state and private forestry sector, integration of private forestry development into the general rural development programmes co-ordinating the activities with the rural self-governing institutions.
During the last years an increased focus has been put on the illegal logging as a big constraint towards achieving sustainable forest management, and a factor undermining social and economic development. Statistics gathered by Forest Control Division of Sate Environmental Protection Inspection, which is responsible for forest management control in state and private forests and records data about illegal logging in Lithuanian forests, shows volume of 46 100 m3 of illegally harvested or stolen timber, which constitutes approximately 0.7% of all annually felled volume.
The major factors driving illegal logging is the difficult socio-economic situation in the rural areas in Lithuania. Among the activities that are causing the emerging of illegal forest products could be mentioned purchasing of illegal round wood by companies avoiding income and value added tax payments, forest harvesting performed by organised criminal groups, purchasing illegal timber by small sawmills. These activities have negative environmental, economical and social impacts on forestry.
In the Lithuanian Forestry Policy and its Implementation Strategy the objective of improvement of forest protection against plundering and thefts with a deeper differentiation into legal liability and by developing forest protection structures is included. Ministry of Environment, Department of Forests is responsible for forest legislation and policy development and is working on improvements in forestry and related legislation to eliminate illegal logging. Since the year 2002, due to the amendments made on Code of Violation of Administrative Law it's possible to confiscate not only illegally cut timber, but saw-chains, vehicles and other means which have been used for illegal logging. In addition, the penalty rate for illegal logging has been considerably increased as well. The new Criminal Code sets up the criminal liability not only for stolen timber, but for illegal logging as activity as well.
In Lithuania, a thorough legal analysis has been carried out, and a number of legal amendments have been proposed, and partly adopted by the Lithuanian Parliament. The list of areas proposed for Nature 2000 network is under construction, and preliminary analysis indicates that existing protected areas and proposed Natura 2000 sites overlap only by about 30-50%. The management regimes applied in existing area do not dramatically change, but considering the need to expand the existing protected areas network, the total cost of implementation is estimated (depending of different circumstances) approximately LTL 25-75 million (EUR 7-20 million) during the next few years.
After reforms and social changes that occurred in Lithuania during recent decade, such as restitution process of private ownership, increase of concerns about preservation of biodiversity, further developing of forestry in a free market has led to the need to form a long term forestry policy which would ensure sustainable forestry development.
As a propulsion for forestry policy has been a long term vision to develop the Lithuanian forests as a natural element of the Lithuanian landscape distinguishing for their healthiness, biodiversity, productivity and stability, supplying with timber and other wood products, providing home for numerous animal and plant species, stopping soil erosion, absorbing carbon dioxide and purifying the air, protecting ground and surface waters, satisfying other balanced ecological, economical, and social public needs and the Lithuanian forestry as a modern, market-oriented branch of the country's economy rationally using and increasing the forest resources, having a developed infrastructure and qualified personnel, applying modern technologies, creating working places and cosy living surroundings.
Based on a thorough analysis of the forestry sector, following the principles and directions (general, economical, ecological, and social), which have been set, the long-term forestry policy has been formed and approved by the Minister of Environment on 17 September 2002 as the Lithuanian Forest Policy and its Implementation Strategy. In its preparation process foresters, researchers, forest governors, managers, NGO's, other interested parties and the public have been involved.
The state takes the responsibility to form and implement a rational forestry development policy, which would ensure ecologically, economically and socially balanced development of the forestry sector. This is comprehended as:
The Lithuanian forestry policy has been formed in compliance to the policies of other branches of the economy of the country, based on the traditions of the country and requirements of the European Union legal norms, international conventions, resolutions, agreements, programmes, and national legal acts.
The major objectives in relation to forestry are:
In order to achieve the objective to increase forest resources there is an ambitious plan to establish new forests on abandoned and unusable agricultural land, exploited pits and peat-bogs as well as other abandoned land plots. In such a way the forest cover of Lithuania would be increased by 3 % during the next 20 years, what would increase the ecological stability of the country and ensure the role of forests in the general rural development (incomes, work places, social and economic stability) as well as economically rational use of uncultivated and poor-quality soils taking into regard the environmental, landscape formation, protection of the cultural heritage, tourism development and other factors.
To ensure the forest ownership variety a number of means are envisaged. After the Land (forest) Reform is completed, the legal conditions shall be created for natural and legal persons to obtain former reserved forest for the restitution of the ownership rights not taken by the owners, the forests which are not rational for the use of the state forest managers, and providing a priority to the state in protected areas. For further development of forest ownership structure in Lithuania, there are foreseen legal and economic preconditions promoting merging of small-sized forest holdings, association and co-operation of the forest owners, as well as promoting of private forest owners training, consulting and education system and preparation of separate education and training programmes using the existing potential of private forest owner self-governing organisations, forest research and training, consulting and education institutions.
The target to enhance participation is rather new in Lithuanian forestry as well as a concept itself. Understanding the importance of this process there shall be promoted co-operation of foresters and interested groups of the society for co-ordination of forestry development and solving problematic forestry issues; public opinion polls and sociological researches performed; discussions in the periodical press and other means of mass media on the forestry issues organised. The obtained information will be analysed and considered taking the state-governing decisions.
Rational, sustainable and continuous use of the forest resources and increase of the forest productivity remains a crucial objective for the coming years. Especially after the emergence of small-sized private forest holdings, these objectives in forestry development had to be newly reconsidered, meaning that what have been achieved in state forest management, has to be ensured in private forests as well.
Implementation of forest management activities based on forest management plans and requirements of forest research, application of forest tree breeding means, thinning, improvement of forest infrastructure (roads, ditches, technological lines and routes) and improvement of the economic instruments is a new challenge regarding small-sized private forest holdings.
Control of forest resource use at forests of all ownership forms taking into regard the actual timber increment, tree species composition and age structure, and seeking a continuous use, forest protection against plundering and thefts are other priority goals.
To improve the economic efficiency of forestry it is aimed at optimising of forestry state regulation system by preparing and implementing an optimal forestry state regulation model; increase of efficiency of the companies involved in forest commercial activities by preparing and implementing optimal economic activity organisation models in forests; improvement of the taxation system in the forestry sector taking into regard market economy conditions; use of more economically efficient forest machinery and technologies by applying of low-cost demanding and ecologically-sound forestry management systems (for example, the natural regeneration).
It is laid an emphasis on long-term objectives to ensure sustainability of forest ecosystems and preservation of the biodiversity and improvement of forest healthiness. Restoration of the ecological value of degraded forest ecosystems, reduce of chemical forest protection means and their replacement with biological and mechanical means, reforestation and forest planting upon the ecological-genetic basis, planting more of mixed plantations, hard deciduous, combining afforestation with the natural regeneration, paying a special attention to the formation of sustainable forest edges and other objectives are foreseen.
Development of state and private forestry in the context of the general rural development is of high priority in forest policy. It comprises of several components: creation of new working places in the forestry sector by developing various forest businesses, economical promotion of these businesses (subsidies, preferential credits, tax privileges and etc.) in the rural development context; promotion of recreational, hunting and other service providing to the society and promotion of non-wood forest product development in the private and state forestry sector; improvement of the social security for those working in the forest sector seeking to create better work safety conditions for both state and private forestry sector; integration of private forestry development into the general rural development programmes co-ordinating the activities with the rural self-governing institutions.
Development of forest research and forest education, strengthening and development of international relations, satisfying of the general forest-related society needs are to be developed as well.
For the implementation of the strategic forestry development objectives a plan of actions and measures are foreseen to be concluded which will include definite actions and means for the development of separate strategic objectives establishing the period for the implementation of these means and defining the executives in charge. For the period 2004-2006 such an action plan has been successfully conducted.
A successful implementation of the policy could be achieved by the policy implementation tool mix, comprising of juridical, economical, and informational policy tools, such as well-organised, qualified forestry administration independent from any temporal political changes; the Forest Law and other legal acts; taxes revenues and financial support; education and training; management of the forestry information; public relations.
The main objective of the Strategy is to define the major instruments for the implementation of the forestry policy for the period until the year of 2015.
