Private forest sector & organizations in latvia

PRIVATE FOREST SECTOR & ORGANIZATIONS IN LATVIAMarch, 2011

LELDE VILKRISTELFRI “SILAVA”

Ipašumu skaits>9000

7000 – 9000

5000 – 7000

3000 – 5000

<3000

8,7 ha

9,0 ha

6,9 ha

6,2 ha

10,6 ha

4,2 ha

5,9 ha

8,8 ha

8,1 ha

3,5 ha

5,3 ha

8,8 ha

6,9 ha

9,6 ha

5,5 ha

9,4 ha7,0 ha

5,0 ha

4,2 ha

4,2 ha

9,2 ha

6,4 ha

5,5 ha

10,5 ha

11,6 ha

9,5 ha

7,1 ha

videja meža ipašuma platiba

Ipašumu skaits>9000

7000 – 9000

5000 – 7000

3000 – 5000

<3000

8,7 ha

9,0 ha

6,9 ha

6,2 ha

10,6 ha

4,2 ha

5,9 ha

8,8 ha

8,1 ha

3,5 ha

5,3 ha

8,8 ha

6,9 ha

9,6 ha

5,5 ha

9,4 ha7,0 ha

5,0 ha

4,2 ha

4,2 ha

9,2 ha

6,4 ha

5,5 ha

10,5 ha

11,6 ha

9,5 ha

7,1 ha

videja meža ipašuma platiba

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

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

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

FOREST OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION - I

Business & representation

1993

2005

FINLAND

EXPANSION

POPULARITY IN ABROAD,

BUT ...

FIASCO OF

BUSINESS

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

(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

Several agreements were signed

ESTABLISHMENT OF ASSOCIATIONS

EU funds: 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

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

SUCCESSFUL STORY – 1A & 1B

Kuldīgas meža īpašnieku apvienība

02.06.2004 21 members living in

their property 10-20 km

Kurzemes meža īpašnieku apvienība

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

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

SUCCESSFUL STORY - 2

Rūjienas meža īpašnieku biedrība

Big owner Director of LTD

“Rostes” Theory + practice

No member fees Base: trust

AUTHORITY

To be interested to companies 1000 m3 in month

Cooperative need for office; problem of technic, allocation of fources etc.

SUCCESSFUL STORY - 3

Mežsaimnieku apvienība “Krāslava” 41 member > 500 ha 2009:

Expenditures 4400 Ls Income– 19 300 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

LEARNING BY DOING

SUCCESSFUL STORY - 4

Meža īpašnieku apvienības „Bārbele”

37 members 600 10-15 km (planed to 30

km) Development, EU

funds, cooperation with other organisations

Action- cirsmuizsoles.lv

COOPERATION

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

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

THANK FOR ATTENTION

LELDE VILKRISTELFRI “SILAVA”+371 [email protected]

Topics of activities: private forestry; opinion polls of PFO; forest

policy and economy; forest extension; forest in schools