Latvia investigates felling of centuries-old forest near Rucava

Police have opened a criminal investigation into the felling of a centuries-old pine forest near Rucava, after a nature group alleged possible breaches of conservation rules. LSM reported that the forest manager may also have violated criminal law.

The Latvian Fund for Nature raised the alarm in late September, after finding sawn sections of pine trunks at the site. Experts from the University of Latvia determined that the trees were between 368 and 377 years old. The felled area covers two hectares, where stumps of pines, spruces and other trees remain, along with a few trees left for ecological purposes.

LSM reported that the forest could have been saved, but the Forest Research Station and the Ministry of Agriculture, which oversees it, chose to disregard information about possible damage to natural values. The ministry and the State Forest Service, which issues logging permits, have found no violations in the felling. The ministry said that only individual old trees had been cut and that not every hectare needs protection.

A request to establish a micro-reserve, a protected area, had been submitted before the forest was cut. Logging in a nearby old-growth stand was later halted by the State Forest Service, but only after work had begun. Trees in that stand had been marked for felling.

The minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development has supported a proposal to temporarily suspend logging in specially protected forest habitats, at least in state forests. A group has also reported the Rucava felling to police, prompting investigators to open criminal proceedings.