WWF and IKEA Partnership on Forest Projects in the Baltic States; Latvia and Lithuania

Diversity in Forest Ownership

In Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all the state owned forests have committed to certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

However, a large proportion of the forests in these three countries is owned by several hundred thousand private owners. A result of the restitution process, this private forest ownership is dominated by very small holdings.

Challenge
Many of the new forest owners have little knowledge and experience in forest management, putting the forests at risk. The general lack of knowledge and small individual holdings make implementing responsible forest management in the privately-owned forests a real challenge.

...and response
The IKEA and WWF Partnership on Forest Projects produced information and training materials on responsible forest management and forest certification for private forest owners.

Guidance for setting-up and managing group certification schemes is also provided. All these are supported by practical examples in the field.