August storm damage in Latvia's forests reaches nearly 300,000 cubic metres
The storm that hit Latvia on August 22 has downed trees across the country's forests amounting to nearly 300,000 cubic metres, with almost half the damage in the Latgale region. Forest owners will mostly be able to sell the wood only as firewood or pulpwood, and are urged to clear it quickly.
The storm that swept through Latvia on August 22 left more than just days-long power outages for residents — it also caused serious damage to the country's forests. According to estimates from the state forestry company "Latvijas Valsts meži," the volume of trees knocked down by the storm is approaching 300,000 cubic metres.
Latgale hit hardest
Roughly half of all the storm-damaged timber has been recorded in the Latgale region, according to the company's assessment. This means forest owners and managers in that region face a particularly large workload in the aftermath.
Lost income for forest owners
Forest owners now face the reality that most of the downed timber can only be sold as firewood or pulpwood rather than higher-value roundwood. This means significantly lower earnings compared to what owners could have made from timber harvested and sold under normal, planned conditions. Storm-damaged wood loses quality quickly, which limits the options for selling it.
Urgent action needed
Experts stress that fallen and damaged trees must be cleared from the forest as quickly as possible. Prompt removal of the timber is important both for safety reasons and to limit further losses, as well as to prevent additional risks to forest stands, such as the spread of pests in damaged trees.
