Forestry expert says power line clearing is an energy security priority

Expanding clearances around 110-kilovolt power lines will affect nature, but the impact is expected to be limited compared with other forestry issues, Jānis Rozītis, head of the board of the World Wide Fund for Nature in Latvia and manager of its Forest Programme, told Latvian Radio, LSM reported.

The Saeima, Latvia’s parliament, decided in October to widen the protected zones around the lines. Rozītis said ensuring a secure electricity supply was a high priority, and that the changes were intended to help the country adapt to climate change.

He said stronger winds linked to climate change would pose a growing risk, and Latvia could face damaging events roughly once every five years. The country needs to consider how to withstand such crises and respond to them, he said.

Rozītis said there could be debate about individual trees approaching the size of a notable tree, as the risk of one falling was relatively low and people could have emotional and environmental concerns. He recalled that some people had objected during earlier clearing along the line, but said the wider issue was energy security as wind risks increase.

He did not rule out landowners using the new rules to serve their own interests in places where tree removal was less necessary, though he did not expect this to be widespread. Clearing could also encourage invasive plants, including giant hogweed, because open landscapes are more conducive to its presence than forests.

The changes follow a severe summer storm that hit Latvia overnight on August 23. It was the strongest summer storm recorded since at least 1966, according to the source, and disrupted electricity for about 277,000 customers. Some parts of the country went without power for several days. Authorities said wider power line clearances were planned after the storm, with 230,000 trees due to be cut.