A forest is defined as a tree-dominated ecosystem covering an area of at least 0.1 hectares, with a potential tree height of at least 5 metres. Forest land includes not only forest stands, but also clearings, coppices, forest roads, ditches and other areas related to forest management. Forest land is used for economic activities such as tree felling, reforestation or Natura 2000 compensation, the owner is obliged to carry out a forest inventory and submit it to the State Forest Service (SFS).
It is compulsory for forest owners to carry out a forest inventory at least every 20 years, but it may be more frequent at the owner's discretion for better business planning, sale of the property, or other reasons.
Forest inventories can only be carried out by certified forest inventory specialists.
Information on this and links to the registers and the information available there are available here: https://www.vmd.gov.lv/lv/inventarizacijas-veiceju-saraksts
During a forest inventory, a specialist surveys the property in the field, divides the forest into plots and determines the main characteristics of each plot - tree species, stand age, average height and diameter, stock (timber volume), creditworthiness or growing conditions, as well as the state of forest regeneration. It also records conservation restrictions, habitats, protection zones and other factors that may affect forest management. All the information obtained is compiled in a digital inventory file and prepared in accordance with the requirements of the regulatory enactments.
After processing, the inventory is submitted to the State Forest Service, which registers it in the State Forest Register. The forest owner can see a detailed description of his property in the inventory - a map of forest plots, tree species and age, timber stock, as well as recommendations for forest management. This information helps to understand the state of the forest, what work needs to be done in the coming years and how best to plan future forest management.
