Private forest sector & organizations in latvia

1. Private forest sector & organizations in latvia March, 2011 LELDE VILKRISTE LFRI “SILAVA”

2. Content • Forest statistics • Organizations in private forest sector • History of first association of private forest owners • Private forest owners’ asociation today • EU funds for associations • Examples of successful stories • Opinion poll of private forest owners • Questions

3. Private forest sector in Latvia • Forest coverage –46 % (2966323,5 ha) • Non-state forests – 50 % (1 475 595 ha) • Private forests – 48 % (1 423 140,4 ha) • PFO – 38 % (1 123 599,3 ha) • Number of PFO – 144 069 • Average forest property – 7,8 ha

4. Organizations Cooperation cooperative • Statutes were worked out in 2010 • Start in February, 2011 • Kurzeme (3 ex-regions) • 20 members ; ~ 2500 ha • www.mezsaimnieks.lv Register of societies and foundations: • foundation • association • society • union

5. Forest owners’ association -I FIASCO OF BUSINESS Business & representation FINLAND POPULARITY IN ABROAD, BUT ... EXPANSION 2005 1993

6. Lessons learned • Hard start – experiences from soviet time + mentality • Support (Finland+state)  “monopoly” (no competition) • Regional offices and activities + international activities • First falsity: results of opinion poll (1995) + number of members ( 40 000 members// 1200//300?) • Change of status (association LTD  NGO  cooperative society) • Rift in FOA & separation of units • Publications in mass media about fraud

7. Several agreements were signed (Latvian) Forest Owners' Association • NGO founded in 2005 • 90 members - big and small forest owners, companies and local governments// ~ 57% of the total forest area of Latvia (2008) • Effective representation of Latvian forest owners' opinion in Latvia and internationally and promotion of cooperation among different forest owners associations • May, 2007 - LFOA signs Merger Treaty with Latvian Foresters' Association that envisages inclusion of Latvian Foresters' Association with the Latvian Forest Owners' Association; • September, 2007 – LFOA sign Agreement on Collaboration with the Forest Owners Association of Latvia "KS MAA" • http://www.mezaipasnieki.lv/en

8. Establishment of associations EUfunds:2004- 2006 • Founded after 01.01.2004 • > 15 members • Max. amount – 10 000 euro • Own input – 10 % • Implementation period - 01.08.2008 • Available amount from EU – 453 770 EUR (319 000 • 31 associations were founded • 262 000 EUR (184 189 LVL) were used 14

9. EU funds • Costs of foundation and working out statutes • Office equipments • Equipping of office (furniture) & renovation of office • Specific mmeasuring instruments for forestry (listed; + GPS) • Common plan of forest management activities (< 10 euro /ha) • Software for forest planning 10 000 euro already used

10. Successful story – 1a & 1b Kuldīgasmežaīpašniekuapvienība • 02.06.2004 • 21 members living in their property • 10-20 km Kurzemesmežaīpašniekuapvienība • 28.11.2005 • 25 memebers living far from properties • Services in forest management + projects for EU funds • Members: 10 % discount • 11 associations were created • Actions of cutting sites • Legal support COMMON INTERESTS & NEEDS

11. Turnover and EU funds • 2005: 2 X 10 000 EUR – establishment of associations • 2007: 3600 LVL – extension of forest owners (EU support and legal questions) • 2008: 2300 LVL - software ‘Forest Expert” • 2009: 7360 LVL – support of development of association

12. Successful story - 2 Rūjienas meža īpašnieku biedrība • Big owner • Director of LTD “Rostes” • Theory + practice • No member fees • Base: trust • To be interested to companies  1000 m3 in month • Cooperative  need for office; problem of technic, allocation of fources etc. AUTHORITY

13. Successful story - 3 LEARNING BY DOING Mežsaimnieku apvienība “Krāslava” • 41 member • > 500 ha • 2009: • Expenditures 4400 Ls • Income– 19300 Ls (firewood– 63 %; cutting sites and projects– 9 %;Christmas tree– 7 %;projects – 2 %; member fee– 0,6 %; project funds – 17 %); • Consultations = 2 4o 4 per week • First activities with losses  payment for training and education

14. Successful story - 4 Mežaīpašniekuapvienības „Bārbele” • 37 members • 600 • 10-15 km (planed to 30 km) • Development, EU funds, cooperationwithotherorganisations • Action- cirsmuizsoles.lv COOPERATION

15. Opinion poll of PFO (2008) 29 % had viewpoint • for big owners - 6 % • positive attitude-16 % • negative attitude-7 % • ~ 20 % known something about associations  in 2001 onny 5 % • In 2004 3 respondents from 400 mentioned asociation as adviser or used it services 7,3 ha 11,7 ha 16,8 ha GOOD, NICE, BUT .... NOT FOR ME

16. Future • Government support to cooperation – proposals were worked out, but no plan for implementation • Funds available for activities (extension, development, education etc.) • ELFLA – European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development (2007. – 2013) • LEADER program • Other funds • Activities of cooperation have increased, but management activities have decreased in last years

17. Thank for attention LELDE VILKRISTE LFRI “SILAVA” +371 29484368 lelde.vilkriste@inbox.lv Topics of activities: • private forestry; opinion polls of PFO; forest policy and economy; forest extension; forest in schools