directorate general of state forests under the lithuania...

1

MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA

2013 M.

DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF STATE

FORESTS

DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF STATE FORESTS UNDER THE

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA

LITHUANIAN STATE FORESTS

Lina SindaraitėPublic Relations Specialist

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

FUNCTIONS OF DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF STATE

FORESTS AND STATE FOREST ENTERPRISES

DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF STATE FORESTS:

o acts as the founder (establisher) of state forest enterprises and coordinates their activities;

o establishes the obligatory norms for state forest enterprises for reforestation, protection and management works;

o organises general state fire-emergency and sanitary forest protection system;

o organises and coordinates reforestation, protection, management and forest resource use in relation to progressive technologies.

STATE FOREST ENTERPRISES:

o govern and use state forests land held in trust for their disposition;

o perform the whole range of forest management activities (regeneration and afforestation, sanitary protection and protection against forest fire, forest harvesting, trade in timber and other forest resources, etc.);

o there are 42 State Forest Enterprises (divided into 350 forest districts), each of them manage about 25 thousand hectares of state forest land.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

STRUCTURE OF GOVERNANCE

OF LITHUANIAN STATE FORESTS

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

DISTRIBUTION OF FOREST AREA BY FOREST

MANAGEMENT REGIME

I Strict reserves forests; 1,2

II Special - purpose forests; 12,2

III Protective forests; 15,5

IV Commercial forests; 71,1

DISTRIBUTION OF FOREST GROUPS• Since 1995 all the

forests are divided

into 4 forest groups

• Special purpose

group includes

recreational forests

and forests for

protection of

ecosystems

• Proportions

between the groups

remain more or less

stable

I STRICT RESERVES FORESTS

II FORESTS OF SPECIAL PURPOSE (protected forests; soil protecting forests; forests for the protection of the Baltic Sea; forests with protected nature monuments, habitats and nature resources; city forests; forest parks; resort forests; recreational forests)

III PROTECTIVE FORESTS (protected forests; forests of buffer zones around

state parks; forests of protective zones in state parks; forests for field protection; forests of recreational and aesthetic value near roads; forests of protective zones for water bodies; forests around factories; seed stands)

IV COMMERCIAL FORESTS

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

FOREST LAND DISTRIBUTION BY OWNERSHIP

49,5%

38,9%

11,6%

Forest land area by ownership 01/01/2013

Forests of State importance

Private forests

State forests reserved for restitution

•Small-scale private

forests (3.3 ha average

holding, about 242

thousand owners)

•Land reform (incl.

restitution) has not

been completed yet

within nearly 20 years:

no economic activities

in state forests are

reserved for restitution

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

Forest stands by dominant tree species

•The biggest areas are covered by pine, spruce and birch stands.

• Decreasing areas of coniferous and increasing areas of deciduous stands

was recorded in the last 20 years.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN STATE FOREST

ENTERPRISES

At the end of 2012 the average number of employees in forest

enterprises totalled 4 101 people, including 2 078 specialists.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

AFFORESTATION

According to the Program regarding the increase of forest coverage, approved by the Order of the ministers of

environment and agriculture, which was valid until 05/10/2012, up to 3000 ha of new forests was planned to be

planted on a free state owned land annually during the period of 2007-2020. Currently, forests cover 33.3 percent of

the total area of Lithuania.

Actions and results:

�According to the Resolutions of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in 2001-2012, only 12 thous. ha of

areas intended for forestry were transferred for the establishment of new forests (525 ha of areas was transferred in

2012).

�12.6 thous. ha of new forests were planted by Forest Enterprises in 2002-2012.

�Forest coverage of Lithuania is being increased.

�The EU support according to the Lithuanian Rural Development Program for 2007-2013 is being implemented.

Problem:

�Due to unfinished land reform, a very small amount of areas, not used for farming any more, are transferred to

Forest Enterprises.

�The demand for forest seedlings by land and forest owners is not forecasted.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

ENLARGEMENT OF OAK AREAS

Preparation work for implementing the Programme of Oak-wood Regeneration in State

Forests was started in 2006: a sufficient amount of oak acorns was gathered, oak saplings were

cultivated. Since 2009 volumes of oak-wood regeneration and afforestration and the undergrowth

development work have been regularly determined and carried out.

In carrying out the Programme of Oak-wood Regeneration in State Forests, in 2011 state

forest enterprises regenerated 293 ha and afforested 65 ha of oak-woods, in which the oak is a

prevailing species of trees. A total of 600 ha of oak-woods have been regenerated and 28 ha

afforested where the oak is not a dominant species of tress but where this species of tree accounts

for more than 30 per cent of the specific composition of the stand. Also, oak-woods in an area

covering 100 ha have been formed by means of cutting out the undergrowth development.

In 2011, the harvest of oak-trees was exceptionally abundant therefore state forest enterprises

prepared as many as 87,4 tons of oak acorns.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

CHANGES IN FELLING REGULATION

� Some new aspects regarding cutting limitation:

� no final felling and wood extraction are permitted in the forests of group II and

national parks in March – July;

� no pre-commercial thinning is permitted in the forests of group IV in April – May, no

commercial thinning and wood extraction are allowed in older forests of group IV in

May – June;

� no thinning and wood extraction are permitted in national parks in March – June.

New regulations regarding forest felling

were approved and are valid from

01/01/2010. In general, these new

regulations have joined some other

separate regulations (for final felling,

thinning and sanitary cutting) into one

document.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

� About 7 mill. cubic metres of timber is cut annually by all types of felling in Lithuania, while

annual increment amounts to 16 mill.cubic metres of timber, i.e. less than 50% of the increment is

being cut.

� 3.8 mill. m3 of timber was felled by Forest Enterprises and 3.4 mill. m3 of timber was felled in

private forests in 2012.

� Since 2012, the trading of timber is carried out via the Round timber electronic trading system

(AMEPS). http://www.ameps.lt/

� The implementation of AMEPS has raised the clearness of timber trading process and has

permitted to accurately and clearly assess the offers of purchasers.

� 2.4 mill. m³ or 67% of total amount of timber produced per year was sold via AMEPS.

� 705 purchasers of timber are registered in AMEPS system.

� The trading of timber via AMEPS permits to save human resources and financial expenditures.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

FELLING RESIDUES

According to the National Energy Strategy, approved by the Resolution No. X-

1046 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on 18 January 2007, State

Forest Enterprises are obliged to seek to achieve that the share of local and

renewable energy sources in the general balance of the country accounted for

20% in 2025.

About 500 new work places are created while production of 250 thous. m³ of

felling residues. It is especially relevant to rural residents.

About 300 thous. m³ of timber is sold to rural residents annually.

� l

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

SERVICES OF WOOD LOGGING AND HARVESTING

(CONTRACT)

� Changes in the volume of contract work in 2002–2011

Year

Felling Haulage

Work

accomplishe

d, LTL

million

including:

thous. m3

Percentage of

the total

amount

thous. m3

Percentage of

the total

amount

Wood

logging Other

2002 3193 90,3 1346 34,9 66,0 53,2 12,8

2003 3192 90,2 1389 37,1 67,5 54,0 13,5

2004 3180 96,0 1367,0 37,1 69,9 52,6 16,3

2005 3180 96,0 1710,8 50,1 89 70,7 18,2

2006 3074 94,0 1744,5 53 99 78 21

2007 2972,6 93,6 1837,2 69,0 117,3 92,4 24,9

2008 2951,1 89,8 2086,7 62,3 144,5 127,5 17,0

2009

2010

3105

3219,3

91,2

92,8

2169,5

2276,7

64,4

64,8

100,7

109,5

85,8

88,9

15,2

20,6

2011 3305,3 89,7 2461,8 66,7 138,1 110,8 27,3

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

TAXES PAID TO THE STATE BUDGET BY STATE FOREST

ENTERPRISES

� The recommended methodology on the assessment of assets and capital return which was

approved in the applied scientific paper of Aleksandras Stulginskis University since 2012, the

basis whereof is used to assess real generated return (income and profit) of felled forest in

that year.

� According to the interim report of January-September 2012 regarding activity of state owned

companies, prepared by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, the return on assets

(incl. forest value) of Forest Enterprises exceeds the average return on assets of state owned

companies by 1.2 percent, or 13 times.

� Profitability rate stood at 5.4 percent in 2012 (net profit (loss)/ sales revenues).

� A 16 percent return on assets was achieved in 2012. It was 1.9 percent higher than the actual

return on assets in 2011.

� Decline in return on assets was conditioned by the following objective reasons:

� The average selling price of round wood decreased by over 13 LTL/m3 or 10 percent if

compared with 2011;

� The net profit declined by 5 percent if compared with 2011. Increase of long-term assets

value by 7 percent, or 23 mill. LTL in 2012.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

ACTIVITY AND PROFIT TAXES PAID BY FOREST

ENTERPRISES

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

OTHER BASIC TASKS (2011-2013)

� All the forests are certified by FSC.

� Introduction of modern automatic forest fire detection system in State Forest

Enterprises (24), having forest areas of high and medium risk of fires.

� Implementation of the measures of Lithuanian Rural Development Program

for 2007-2013, using EU support.

� Round wood sales improvement by creating and implementing electronic

system.

� Creation of general centralized information system of all forestry activities.

� Continuation of state forests registration in the Register of Real Estate (only

72% of all state forests were registered by 01/01/2012).

� Windbreaks and windfalls, occurred in August 2010, removal, seeking to

avoid the spread of bark beetle Ips typographus (over 500 thous. cubic

meters in state forests and over 800 thous. cubic meters in private forests).

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

SERVICES TO PRIVATE FOREST OWNERS

� A total of 247.7 thous. owners of private forests were registered in the country as of

31 December 2011, and the area of forests owned by them amounted to 810 thous.

ha. On the average 3,27 ha of forest belonged to one owner. A lack of forestry

knowledge and farming experience is one of the basic problems in the sector of

private forests.

� Since 2003, State Forest Enterprises have been providing services to the owners of

private forests related to soil preparation, forest regeneration and afforestation, plant

maintenance, marking wood-cutting areas and other forestry services. State Forest

Enterprises organised training courses in the field of forestry free of charge, sold

cultivated forest saplings. The same time of conducting consultations to the owners of

private forests in forest districts of all State Forest Enterprises has been fixed – from 8

am to 12 am on Tuesdays.

� Seeking to help the owners of private forests absorb assistance given by the EU

structural funds to forestry, State Forest Enterprises can provide various services to

the landowners who apply to them: prepare a project of afforestation and natural

regeneration, prepare soil, plant a forest, provide them with qualitative forest

saplings, carry our works of maintaining the afforested forests, provide other

necessary services.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

SERVICES PROVIDED TO PRIVATE FOREST OWNERS IN STATE FOREST

ENTERPRISES IN 2009–2011

Services 2009 2010 2011

Training courses 42 54 48

Participants in training courses (number of attendants)

734 764 681

Consultations on forestry issues 12420 13147 11292

Number of forest saplings sold (in thous.) 10756 12837 14729

Services provided (thou. LTL) 659 569 490

Number of announcements in the local press (pcs.)

147 143 177

Organize forest fire protection trainings to private forest owners for free

(observation, fire-fighting).

Organize protection of private forests against illegal cuttings.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

STATE FORESTERS AND SOCIETY

� Over 2000 of recreational objects made by State Forest

Enterprises. More than 200 adapted to people of people with

motion disabilities.

Organize annual campaigns

„Bring the Christmas Home“

(Free spruce branches for citizens).

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

WE WERE THE FIRST ONES IN STATE SECTOR WHO

HAVE CREATED INFORMATION SYSTEM OF ELECTRONIC

SERVICES

� Everyone who goes to the Lithuanian state forest takes interest

in the services provided by the sector of state forests, or simply

who want to see works of wood carvers in recreational objects

should visit the website www.valstybiniaimiskai.lt. The website

contains systematised information about the condition of

forests, protected objects, trade in forest and decorative

saplings, trade in round wood, descriptions of recreational

objects, the latest and most relevant information about the

system of state forests.

� The most topical information systematised by the Directorate

General and State Enterprises and an interactive map on which

various objects are marked form the basis of the system.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

ACCORDING TO EPI RANKING MADE BY YALE UNIVERSITY IN

2012, LITHUANIA IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS THE BEST IN FOREST

PRESERVATION IN THE WORLD AMONG 132 COUNTRIES.

Lithuania has been acknowledged as the leading country in regard to forest

preservation. The following three criteria were taken into consideration while

carrying the assessment of forest preservation: stand volume changes

(assessment period: 1995-2010); forest felling (assessment period: 2000-2010);

changes of forest coverage (assessment period: 2000-2010).

Forest coverage of Lithuania increased from 30.9 percent to 33.2 percent in the

last decade. Volume of mature stands increased from 73.7 mill. to 94.6 mill. cubic

metres. The area of state forests increased by 63 thous. ha, or 6 percent in the

last decade, while stand volume grew by 25 mill. cubic metres. The average wood

volume per hectare grew by 13 cubic metres in the last 10 years and currently

amounts to 237 cubic metres per ha. Meanwhile, the total stand volume

accumulated in all Lithuanian forests increased by 38 mill. cubic metres since

2001, whereas annual wood volume increment grew from 16.1 mill. to 16.6 mill.

cubic metres.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA


FORESTS

REPRESENTATIVES OF FOUR STATES PLANTED

“INTERNATIONAL” FOREST ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER

OF LITHUANIA � Trees, which have been planted by the citizens of four countries, will grow

green at the intersection of the state borders of Lithuania, Poland and Russia.

The forest is called Oak stand of Foresters’ Unity.

� On 20 April, foresters from Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Germany arrived at

Grybingiris forest, which is not far from Poland. The representatives of

Germany rallied the helpers by blowing the horn. All those who have

gathered, planned to plant 2000 young oaks cultivated in Lithuania and 400

spruces. However, Oak stand of Foresters’ Unity will be a little bit denser and

mixed because the guests brought their saplings, too. The representatives of

Russia brought young oaks, the Germans brought some young lime trees and

a larch, while the Poles grew saplings of the European spruce and the

ordinary beech tree from the seed consecrated by Pope Benedict.

It is one of the most beautiful work examples of Lithuanian foresters.

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MINISTRY OF

ENVIRONMENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF

LITHUANIA

2013 M.


FORESTS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

ATTENTION!

Foresters are like a bridge between a man and a forest; therefore,

apart from the most important and necessary work done for a forest,

we also work for a man.

We protect, increase and cherish the green cover of our country and

create a more beautiful, healthier and cleaner environment for

society.

directorate general of state forests under the lithuania...

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