The Need to Establish a Social and Economic Database of Private Forest Owners: The Case of Lithuania

Abstract

In Lithuania, as in other analyzed countries, greatest attention is concentrated on the protection and monitoring of state forests, while the situation in the private forest sector is quite unclear and uncertain. In most European countries, as well as in Lithuania, there are a lack of socio-economic data, and there are no planned forest monitoring methods and permanent programs. We claim that the problem of achieving sustainability in the forest sector, in the case of the estates of the private forest owners, could be partially solved by implementing the monitoring of social and economic indicators. This study proposes the need for the establishment of a social and economic database of private forest owners in Lithuania. In this article, we have carried out a detailed analysis of scientific sources and selected socio-economic indicators to help the adoption of optimal management solutions for sustainability in the private forest sector. To explore the need to establish a social and economic database of private forest owners in Lithuania, we conducted an empirical study by applying the method of semi-structured interview to a group of experts/specialists in the forestry field. Summarizing the results of the research, it can be concluded that the need for socio-economic information about the owners of private forests in Lithuania is obvious, as it would clarify the most pressing problems that forest owners face when farming in their forest estates. This information would also allow the improvement of policy formulation and implementation, the adoption of legal regulations, and the organization of the necessary changes in private forestry. Therefore, it is necessary to establish criteria and indicators that could ensure more sustainable forest management.

Changes in Forest Cover of Municipalities in Poland in 1990–2018

“…The provisions of the FMP and SFMP regarding the boundaries and area of the forest are included in the LPR (Article 20(2) [33]). In the case of afforestation carried out under EU CAP, the reclassification of land to forestry is carried out after an assessment of the success of forest crops no later than the fifth year after afforestation of the land (Article 13 (7) [33]). Forest owners (private, public) are required to restore forest vegetation (silviculture) in the forests within 5 years of clearing the stand (Article 13 (1.2) [33]).…”

“…In addition, forests have great socio-economic value due to the improvement of health conditions, diversification of the labor market and industrial production, development of tourism, etc. [5][6][7]. Therefore, forests are crucial resources for implementing sustainable development principles related to sustainable production and consumption, poverty alleviation, food security, protection of biodiversity and climate change [8].…”

“…Regarding adequate management and stewardship of forest resources in a sustainable manner, monitoring the condition of the forest and the dynamics of change is an indispensable condition for the rational formulation, implementation and evaluation of the performance of the forest policy of countries and regions by decision-making bodies, but also a guarantee for the preservation of forests for future generations [16]. Successful forest governance requires (1) transparent legislation, (2) effective tools for supervision and control of forest management and (3) sources of information and databases based on reliable and unified reporting [4,6,7]. This is especially relevant for the aggregation and processing of data on changes in forest area due to afforestation, deforestation or conversion of forest land to non-forest land and, in practice, faces a number of limitations [2][3][4]12,[15][16][17].…”

Problems and Challenges of Legal Regulation and Obligations of Private Forest Owners

“…Forest cutting permits are issued by the officials of the regional environmental protection departments of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania. Regulations for the management and use of private forests (Regarding Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania of July 24, 199724, , No. 799, 2007 are approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.…”

Factors Explaining the Willingness of Small-Scale Private Forest Owners to Engage in Forestry—A German Case Study

“…To ensure targeted and effective support for small owners, essential information on small owners is needed to formulate comprehensive recommendations for private forest policy [23]. In general, it can be seen that the forest management objectives of European private forest owners have changed significantly over the last two decades, for example, due to the urbanization of lifestyles, withdrawal from agriculture, as well as economic restructuring [24].…”