On 21 May, a conference on the impacts of clear-cutting and new approaches to forestry policy took place at the Parliament of Lithuania. Co-organised by the Committee on Environmental Protection of the Parliament, the conference focused heavily on close-to-nature forestry, the current state of Lithuanian forests, the problems of monoculture spruce forests, and the future of endangered species.

“Clear felling is incompatible with sustainable forestry. This Government’s programme sets a target that within 20 years, at least 50% of the country’s forests should be managed according to the principles of close-to-nature forestry, avoiding clear-cutting and prioritising ecosystem protection. A number of bills to strengthen forest protection are already on the Seimas’ agenda. This year, one of the most important tasks of the Seimas and the Government will be to discuss, improve, and adopt the package of amendments to the Forest Law,” said Linas Jonauskas, Chairman of the Committee on Environmental Protection.

The CEO of the Forest 4.0 Centre of Excellence, Nerijus Kupstaitis, in his presentation, focused on the opportunities provided by the adoption of advanced forestry practices: “Innovative solutions based on science and data, which we refer to as Forest 4.0 solutions, can help to address the current challenges facing forests and the forest sector in the context of climate change and other contemporary issues, while helping to clarify the vision and concept of ‘smart forestry’ as a way of connecting and reconciling different interests in the future direction of forest policy.”

The event brought together environmental experts, scientists, forestry professionals, and politicians to discuss the future of sustainable forestry in Lithuania. The conference covered topics ranging from the current state of forests and close-to-nature forestry to international experiences and the role of communities.

The human-forest connection is an important part of Lithuania’s identity, but the current intensive, extractive forestry does not reflect this connection and is a source of public dissatisfaction. The amendments to the Forest Law currently being debated in the Seimas should be key to changing forest policy to meet the expectations of today’s society and to help realise the Lithuania 2050 vision.

A full recording of the conference is available here (in Lithuanian only): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-76cpnYTLis

Photos by the Chancellery of the Seimas (author: Ekaterina Khvashchynskaya).