Advanced Search

Forest Law

Original Language Title: Meža likums

Subscribe to a Global-Regulation Premium Membership Today!

Key Benefits:

Subscribe Now for only USD$40 per month.
The Saeima has adopted and the President promulgated the following laws: the law of chapter I of the forest. General provisions article 1 the law is applied in the following terms: 1) attestation-the national forest service issued a document, certifying the legality of certain planned activities and is considered this authorization;
2)-districts of the said stumpage productivity characterization, which is determined by the height of the trees of a certain age;
3) main-type of CURL CURL wood main harvest by single step or several steps;
4) main harvesting-average stumpage the ruling species of valdaudz trees in less average average of 1.3 metres, to reach, to be able to make a stand in the main lock in before the main harvesting age;
5) main harvesting age – the smallest stands tree species prevailing age, anybody should reach to be able to launch the forest felling in the main lock;
6)-clear cut the main type of curl. With this lock in the year of its launch of the stand or parts thereof šķērslaukum is reduced to the extent that it becomes less than the critical šķērslaukum;
7) šķērslaukum-šķērslaukum critical threshold, below which values is not possible in case of satisfactory development and stand stand is renewable;
8) forest-forest damage measures and the prevention or mitigation of their consequences;
9) forest management plan-a document that identifies specific forest property or legal tenure management objectives and proposed forest management activities;
10) forest-forest planting and sowing, as well as promoting natural recovery woodland;
11) forest damage-stands the augtspēj partial or complete loss of pest, disease, animal, human, wind, snow, fire and similar factors;
12 forest regeneration)-sowing and planting of forests, as well as natural recovery through forest land not sheathed;
13) sustainable management of the forest-forest and woodland management and use in the manner and degree to preserve their biological diversity, productivity and vitality, as well as regeneration ability and the ability to perform important ecological, economic and social functions, now and in the future, the local and the global level;
forest inventory-14) information about the forest and its documentation;
15) permanent forest monitoring-observation system for forest growing tree health, State of the environment and environmental pollution impact assessment;
16) forest reproductive material-isolated trees, stands and forest tree seed orchards;
17) forest reproductive material-seeds, seedlings, plants and parts of plants for use in forest restoration or regeneration;
18) the legal possessor of the forest-a) to a person pursuant to law by a specific decision of the authorities of the land reform, the land passed to the (granted) in return for payment or to restore the property ownership rights to the land and soon put it (iemērīt), (b) the natural person) woodland possession gained to inheritance or other legal basis;
19) forest national register-information system that collects and stores information about forests and ongoing business operations;
20) stand-forest with homogeneous forest growing conditions, tree species composition and age;
21) minimum šķērslaukum-the smallest šķērslaukum, someone needs to be further development of productive stands;
22) counterproductive stand-stand, which is not appropriate to grow wood builds without sufficient growth, tree species composition or quality of wood or šķērslaukum is less than the critical šķērslaukum;
23 plantation forests-ieaudzēt), earmarked and registered in the national register of the forest stand;
24) šķērslaukum-one hectare area of growing the tree trunk šķērslaukum (square metres) of 1.3 metres from the root of the neck;
25) valdaudz-stands of trees with the largest stock of wood with a height does not differ by more than 10 percent of their average height;
26) ruling of tree species-tree species, stand is the largest wood collected.
 
Article 2 (1) of this Act is to regulate the entire purpose of the Latvian forest sustainable management of all forest owners or legal possessor of guaranteeing equal rights, ownership and economic autonomy and equal responsibilities.
(2) the protected forest, forest protection zone of collectible and specially protected forest management district additional restrictions provided for by other laws and Cabinet regulations.
 
Article 3 (1) of this Act is the forest and the forest object country: 1) forest is an ecosystem in all its stages of development, and is dominated by trees whose height location may reach at least seven metres and a current or potential crown cover is at least 20 percent of the stands occupied areas;
2) forest land is land which is the forest, the ground beneath the forest infrastructure, as well as within the forest and the pārplūstoš clearing the adjacent terrain, swamps and lauc.
(2) on the forest: 1) are not considered separate from the existing forest areas covered with trees and of a size not exceeding 0.1 hectare;
2) artificial or natural tree line width is less than 20 metres;
3) fruit gardens, parks, cemeteries and forest tree seed orchards.
 
Article 4 (1) this law applies to: 1) the person to whom the land is forest ownership or legal possession;
2) person this law and other forest management and use of regulatory legislation defines the rights and obligations.
(2) the national forest in the statutory functions of forest owners in forest management and protection by the State joint stock company "Latvian State forests", established national forest management and management of the property.
(3) personal self-sufficiency may be limited by this Act and other legislation the cases.
Chapter II. The right to stay in the Woods article 5 (1) natural persons have the right to reside and move freely in national and local forest, if the law does not provide otherwise. Vehicles may be used, only moving to the forest roads, except also can move in forest management and forest protection purposes.
(2) the residence of natural persons, and freedom of movement in the other forest may limit the owner or legal possessor.

(3) the municipality after the national forest service or the environmental protection authority, on a proposal from the forest fire, as well as the interest of the specially protected areas, wild plant and animal protection may be limited in the interests of natural persons, right of residence and to move freely in the forest.
(4) If an individual's right to reside and move freely in the forest are limited, the forest owner or legal possessor is obliged to insulate the area with transparent warning inscriptions.
(5) public officials of their duties, have the right to move without restriction in the forest.
(6) the restriction to reside and move freely in the forest is valid only if the requirements laid down in the fourth paragraph.
 
Article 6 obligation of a Person staying in the Woods, is to comply with the provisions of the forest fire, does not damage the forest soil and forest infrastructure, does not pollute the woods with garbage, follow the procedures in the use of a rest, not ravage their nests and Ant nests or otherwise harm the plants and animals of the forest, as well as go into article 5 of this law, the second and third part in certain areas.
Chapter III. Tree felling in article 7 (1) Tree in the forest is allowed to cut: 1) main lock-wood stands for the main harvest after the main harvesting age or the main achievement of the average shelter;
2)-parental lock stands, the composition of the residual stands of trees growing conditions and stands for health improvement;
3) sanitary-forest harvesting, pests, animal diseases or otherwise damaged, dry, wind-fallen and broken trees;
4) in the lock-unproductive reconstructive stand regulations established;
5) in another forest-harvesting infrastructure and maintenance, landscaping, as well as forest land transformation.
(2) the tree felling the forest allowed only in accordance with this law and other laws.
 
Article 8 procedure felling of trees outside forest land is determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
 
Article 9 (1) the main harvesting is permitted if: 1) stand has reached the following main harvesting age: the ruling species of main tree harvesting age (years) depending on the standing of the I and II-III (IV) higher and lower oak 101 121 121 pine and larch, spruce and 101 101 121 os Wagner 71 71 51 71 71 71 81 81 81 Birch Melnalksn the apse) 41 41 41 2 stand reached the main harvesting average;
3) received this law laid down in article 11 of the national forest service sanitary opinion.
(2) the main harvesting is prohibited: 1) if the forest owner or legal possessor legal deadlines and quality non-renewal of the forest at least 80 percent of the total renewable into the possession of the area in the Woods in forestry area in question;
2) if in one facility in the Woods adjacent to the primary harvesting areas stand 1.0 per hectare and a larger area is not recognized as an update and stand at least is under three years of age;
3) nature reserves and national parks nature reserve area, the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga in the 300 meters of the coastal zone, particularly protect the forest compartments (mikroliegumo).
 
Article 10 (1) of the harvesting is allowed to Care if stand šķērslaukum is greater than the minimum šķērslaukum or if the stand is the disease infected contaminated by pests or other reasons damaged trees.
(2) as a result of parental lock stands šķērslaukum must not be less than the minimum šķērslaukum.
 
Article 11 if, before the commencement of parental lock are expected, cutting down disease infected infested by pests or other reasons damaged trees, stand šķērslaukum will be smaller than the critical šķērslaukum, the stands allowed to chop off the main lock at national forest service in the opinion of the health.
 
Article 12 (1) to start the tree felling the forest land needed proof except when care is carved in the stands volume production trees, which strain the average is less than 12 inches, as well as dry and wind-toppled trees. Without the receipt cut and dry wind toppled trees in the amount of forestry in the territory or legal possession of the property must not exceed 10 cubic metres a year.
(2) If tree felling the need in emergency situations (snieglauz, vējlauz, vējgāz, which interferes with the operation of the infrastructure, forest fire control and other regulations certain cases), tree felling may start after oral notification of the national forest service. Certificate shall be issued after the digging spot checks in nature.
(3) tree felling of the forest is prohibited if the forest owner or legal possessor in the forest forest inventory has not been carried out, except in the second part of this article means.
(4) it is prohibited to chop down trees that reached the Cabinet specially protected trees-his-size.
 
Article 13 the main harvesting and care shelter criteria-minimum and critical times of šķērslaukum, the main shelter after the ruling species of average and maximum standing, clear cut area or width, the order stands for recognition as non-productive, disease or pest infected infested tree felling procedure felling for the creation and the requirements of nature protection and care in the main lock, as well as tree felling procedure article 12 of this law in the cases referred to in the second subparagraph determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
 
Article 14 tree felling, in breach of the procedure laid down in this law, or of damage to trees is considered arbitrary tree felling or corrupted.
Chapter IV. Wild wood use values not article 15 forest wood, no values are as follows: 1) material values-tangible things that are associated with the forest and which are separated from the Woods by winning;
2) intrinsic, recreational forest and the environment and ecological characteristics of the stabiliser.
 
Article 16 (1) forest not wood material values-wild berries, fruits, nuts, mushrooms and medicinal plants-people can get at its discretion if the forest owner or legal possessor is specified by limits in accordance with article 5 of this law, the provisions of part IV.
(2) the use of wild animals in order to determine the species and habitat protection and hunting regulations.
(3) national and local forest everyone is entitled to collect wild fruits, berries, nuts and mushrooms, pursuant to this law, articles 5 and 6.
Chapter v. Forest reproductive material article 17

Forest restoration (for sowing or planting) and forest regeneration and forest planting material intended for the production of forest reproductive material allowed to collect only from the national forest service recorded the basic material.
 
Article 18 national forest service manages the basic material and certified forest reproductive material.
 
Article 19 forest restoration and forest regeneration may be used only for the specific place of origin certified suitable for forest reproductive material. The forest owner or legal possessor can be restored with their forests in the forest mežeņ and obtained seed.
 
Article 20 of the basic material registration rules, its quality and certification requirements of forest reproductive material (including genetically modified forest reproductive material) and the use of trade arrangements fixed by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Chapter VI. Forest restoration and regeneration of article 21 the forest owner or legal possessor is obliged: 1) restore stands not later than three years after harvesting (including digging a year) or the impact of other factors, if the stand šķērslaukum has become less of a critical šķērslaukum. Cabinet growing conditions of certain forest types, you can define different forest renewal term;
2) provide renewed stands care.
 
Article 22 the landowner or legal possessor has the right to ieaudzē forest, unless these rights are not restricted by law.
 
Article 23 the Cabinet determines: 1) criteria for stand considered restore or ieaudzēt, forest renewal term for certain types of forest growing conditions;
2 in the renewed or ieaudzēt) stands (COPSE) care inspection criteria.
 
Article 24 (1) stand to be recognized as a plantation forest, where it is recorded in the national forest service as plantation forest.
(2) On plantation forests does not apply this statutory tree felling and reforestation.
(3) after the stands or plantations in the area allowed to repeatedly install plantation stands.
 
Article 25 of the plantation forest regeneration, logging, management and tree felling procedure determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Chapter VII. Forest protection article 26 forest owner or legal possessor and the person making the felling of the forest is prepared, stored or processed wood in the forest or in the immediate vicinity, it must: 1) take steps to reduce the risk of damage to forests and limit their spread;
2) to monitor the condition of the forest and to inform the national forest service on detected forest damage.
 
Article 27 in emergency situations due to the massive forest pests and diseases savairošano national forest service can ask the law referred to in article 26 persons: 1) stop or postpone the tree all the way to felling, except for cutting the emergency relief;
2) to take measures to combat pests and disease or halt their spread;
3) destroy the disease infected or pest infested forest reproductive material.
 
Article 28 of the order in which put the emergency situation due to forest fires, forest pests and diseases in savairošano mass, forest protection measures, as well as their execution procedures and deadlines determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Chapter VIII. Information on the forest and forest management plans article 29 (1) the forest owner or legal possessor is obliged each year up to February 1 to inform the national forest service for the following during the previous year in the land of the forest changes: 1) for transactions for which the certificate was necessary;
2) on forest damage;
3) for reforestation;
4) on forest regeneration;
5) for care of coppice.
(2) the forest owner or legal possessor is obliged in his possession or legal possession of existing forests at least once every 10 years to take an inventory of the forest and its material for the national forest service.
(3) On the first and second part of the veracity of the information is the responsibility of the forest owner or legal possessor.
 
Article 30 the forest owner or legal possessor has the right to receive from the national registry all information relating to his property or legal possession of the existing forest. Forest inventory information for a particular owner possessor of or legal forest is limited by the availability of information.
 
Article 31 the forest management plan is developed based on forest inventory data. The forest owner or legal possessor is entitled the forest management plan to include additional information. The planning of forest management, the forest owner or legal possessor must follow: 1) maximum wood resources and sustainable use;
2) article 35 of this law requirements;
3 forest productivity and value) conservation and promotion;
4) in this Act and other legislation.
 
Article 32 the forest owner or legal possessor in the forest management plan is one of the preconditions for the country to receive the subsidy.
 
Article 33 national subsidy in forestry activities and the annual program of the State budget funds for this purpose within the determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
 
Article 34 (1) forest inventory and forest management planning by persons who have a specific professional qualification.
(2) the requirements for the sliding of the professional skills required for the performance of the forest inventory and forest management planning shall be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
(3) forest inventory, forest national record-keeping procedures, the forest owner or legal possessor of the information to be provided and a procedure for the provision of this information is determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Chapter IX. Nature protection in forests article 35 (1) the forest management regimes and economic, ecological or social matter priority objectives determined by this law and other laws. The aim of the management is to be included in the development plans of the territory (the Republic of Latvia national programming, local and regional authorities for development plans).
(2) the management of its forests, the forest owner or legal possessor is obliged to comply with the General requirements of nature protection to: 1) ensure forest biodiversity conservation;
2 maintain the ability of the forest) to protect the soil from erosion;

3) protect surface and ground water from pollution;
4 keep the essential elements) cultural heritage elements in the forest.
 
Article 36 the conservation of biodiversity in forests is eliminable in specially protected forest station-mikroliegum, protected zones along the water and wetlands. Of particular interest are the structure of the stand elements are retained for all types of hair. This forest precinct-mikroliegum for the creation and management of the mode is determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
 
Article 37 (1) the general nature protection requirements for forest management and operating restrictions for animal breeding season is determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
(2) if necessary, in addition to the General requirements of national forest service can determine the mikroliegum installation, the criteria and procedures established by the Cabinet of Ministers.
(3) the second paragraph of this article are laid down in aprobežojum of the forest use rights are taken into account in determining the cadastral value of the land.
 
Article 38 (1) forest health and monitoring of the environmental situation throughout the territory of the forest to forest monitoring. Forest monitoring is financed from the State budget allocations from general revenue.
(2) the forest monitoring procedure established by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Chapter x. The issue of the attestation article 39 (1) the forest owner or legal possessor from the national forest service needs to receive confirmation following: 1) tree felling;
2) drainage system or other structures for lifting or reconstruction where it may affect the forest;
3) enterprises (forestry) road construction;
4) forest reproductive material;
5) fertilizer and pesticide use on forest land.
(2) if the forest property or legal possession is on the Gauja, Slīter or ķemeri national park or Teič, Krustkaln, Grīņ or Moricsal in the nature reserve, a testament to the receivable from the territory administration.
(3) specially protected natural areas of Administration receives a receipt form national forest service and the Cabinet in the order and the relevant time limits by the national forest service information on receipts issued.
(4) proof of the month served the forest owner or legal possessor written receipt of the application.
(5) the certificate is valid until 31 December of the current year.
(6) the procedure for the issue of a receipt and application information determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
 
Article 40 (1) receipt shall not be issued if: 1) planned the operation does not meet the requirements of the law;
2) forest owner or legal possessor is not present in the application of this law article 39, part of the sixth information or has not submitted the information prescribed in article 29;
3) forest owner or legal possessor does not submit the inventory of forest materials.
(2) Proof of service not the case a month from the date of receipt of the application is to be motivated the refusal in writing.
Chapter XI. Forest land transformation article 41 woodland transformation in other land use forms required from the national forest service permit.
 
Article 42 (1) If forest land transformed, transformation agent is obliged to pay damages to the State of the natural environment of the forest destruction.
(2) the transformation of forest land conditions and authorization procedures, as well as the calculation of damages and reimbursement procedure determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
(3) the use of the subsoils woodland occurs on the law "on Earth".
Chapter XII. The national forest administration article 43 (1) forest sector public administration functions: 1) the Ministry of agriculture to develop forest policies and the implementation of necessary legislation and ensure that all interested group awareness;
2) national forest service which monitors all the forests of Latvia, compliance with the laws governing the management and use of forests;
3) environmental protection and regional development Ministry, which controls the nature protection rules in all Latvian forests and approved forest management plans in protected natural areas.
(2) the State with its institutions and funding support to the long-term stabilisation of the forest functions and forestry development.
(3) cabinet order is created in the forest development fund will support the development of forestry and the funding of the programme, forest research, forest owners ' education and training.
 
Article 44 (1) of national forest land is the Ministry of Agriculture's Department of Forest land from July 21, 1940, in which land reform is not passed to the permanent use of other natural or legal persons, as well as forest land, owned or State.
(2) national forest land is State property, which is in the land to the state name entered in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law.
(3) national forest land use is not granted standing, except when, in coordination with the Minister of agriculture, it is to be granted to former land owners or their heirs as the equivalent of specially protected natural territories of objects not recovered ground instead.
(4) the land registry recorded in national forest land sale or other disposal of the panels allowed with an order of the Cabinet of Ministers in the following cases: 1 privatizēj the ground) residential buildings and piekritīgaj of farm buildings and structures;
2) specifying or optimizing the national forest land external borders of nogabal;
3) transforming the forest land, if further use is associated with forest management.
(5) other cases national forest land only with movable panels in the parliamentary decision.
 
Article 45 tree felling, the maximum amount of hectares and by facing cubic metres of wood species, which allowed to chop off the main lock in five years, the State forests national forest service calculated and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Chapter XIII. Research forest in article 46 (1) of the research forest is used for long-term scientific research object creation and maintenance.
(2) revenue from research forests are used for this forest management according to the forest service budget.
 
Article 47 research forests are managed and administered the State Forestry Department.
 
48. article on scientific research of forests does not apply: 1) tree felling rules;
2) forest reproductive material to the terms of use;
3 create a new stumpage);
4) forest protection rules.
 
Article 49

National forest land grant research needs and research forest management procedures established by the Cabinet of Ministers. The research forest is registered in the national register of the forest.
Chapter XIV. The responsibility for forest management and violations of the laws and article 50 (1) Of this Act and of other forest management and use of regulatory normative acts violating the person called to the liability legislation.
(2) the administrative prosecution of persons or criminal responsibility does not exempt the person from the obligation to pay the violation of the laws and the resulting damages.
(3) if the damage done to the forest owner or legal possessor, the violation of this law and other forest management and use of regulatory legislation, the State Forestry Department shall recover damages in favour of the State.
(4) the procedure for determining the governing Cabinet.
Transitional provisions 1. With the entry into force of this law shall lapse: 1) of the Act "on forest management and use" (Latvian Saeima and the Cabinet of Ministers rapporteur, 1994, no. 9; 1995, no. 11, 22; 1996, 13, no. 19; 1997, no. 7, 14);
2) of the Act "on State forest" (the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia and the Cabinet of Ministers rapporteur, 1995, nr. 10; 1998, nr. 5).
 
2. the Cabinet of Ministers: 1) until 1 January 2001 issued by the provisions referred to in this law;
2) until January 1, 2002 to provide a public record of the forest.
 
3. pending the adoption of rules of the Cabinet has the following Cabinet of Ministers regulations, in so far as they are not inconsistent with this law: 1) of 14 June 1994, the provisions of no. 132 "on forest clearing and specially protected forest precinct extraction";
2) 24 January 1995, the provisions of no. 25 "reforestation";
3) of 21 March 1995, Regulation No 58 of "forest management and use of sanitary rules";
4) 18 April 1995 the Regulation No 98 "regulations concerning specially protected forest station" the Christmas battle space "creation";
5) 25 July 1995 rules no 241 "rules about the material responsibility for forest management and exploitation offences";
6) august 13, 1996 by Regulation No 325 "rules on damages for forestry due to the transformation of forest land or quality";
7) 20 august 1996 the rules No 332 "national mežierīcīb organization order";
8) 20 august 1996, the Regulation No 334 "forest monitoring procedure";
9) of 9 December 1996, Regulation No 449 of the "main harvesting rules";
10) on 9 December 1996 the Regulation No 450 "Thinning of the rules";
11) 24 November 1998 the Regulation No 440 "forest fund optional felling of trees and shrubs".
 
4. To the forest to create the national register information system functions perform database "forest fund".
5. This law, article 9 paragraph 2 of the first subparagraph shall enter into force on 1 January 2002.
6. Article 9 of this law, the second subparagraph of paragraph 1 shall enter into force on 1 January 2001.
7. Article 12 of this law, the third part and the second part of article 29 on State Forests shall enter into force on January 1, 2008. Until then use the updated database "forest fund" existing forest inventory information.
8. Forest management projects that developed before the entry into force of this law shall be regarded as forest management plans within the meaning of this law. Forest inventory information contained in the above forest management projects, ranks as the forest inventory information for the purposes of this Act and is valid until the appropriate forest management project expiry date.
The law shall enter into force on the day following its promulgation.
The Parliament adopted the law of 24 February.
Riga, 16 March 2000, President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga.