Private and Community Forestry in Central and Eastern Europe

Lithuania

National Committee
Mr. Nerijus Kupstaitis, Head, Division of Private Forests (Ministry of Environment)
Mr. Algis Gaizutis, Forest Owners Association of Lithuania-FOAL

Activities

1. Need assessment for private forestry in Lithuania

The project was aiming at assessing the needs and expectations of private forest owners in achieving sustainable forest management, oriented between economic efficiency and protection of environmental values in the long run. Moreover, the project was clarifying why private forest owners¿ co-operatives or other commercial or non-commercial organizations of forest owners in Lithuania have not been successful in increasing their memberships so far. In line with this general objective, the outcome of the project was reached through making two analyses: (1) analysis of the needs and expectations of the private forest owners, related to extension and forestry services, and (2) analysis of potentialities and type of service provided by different organizations to private forest owners.

Target groups of the Need assessment were private forest owners, and representatives of organizations, providing services for private forest owners (private forest owners¿ co-operatives, State forest enterprises and other companies).

The Need assessment was aiming to clarify two main questions: (1) goals and needs of private forest owners, managing their forests, and (2) market of forestry services for private forest owners.

Main activities

The main activities undertaken during the project were:

• analysis of the needs and expectations of the private forest owners, related to extension and forestry services; a questionnaire was circulated to geographically representative selected forest owners for clarifying the needs and expectations of the private forest owners, related to extension and forestry services
• analysis of potentialities and type of service provided by these organizations to private forest owners; a mail survey was conducted on geographically representative selected forest owners¿ cooperatives and other organizations for clarifying potentialities and type of service provided by these organizations to private forest owners

Conclusion

The Need assessment shows that forest owners¿ co-operatives and other forest enterprises do not completely correspond to the actual needs and expectations of private forest owners in Lithuania. These commercial organizations should pay more attention to aesthetical values and biodiversity conservation, as one of the factors in private forest management, since is an important requirement for private forest owners in Lithuania.

One of the main factor, who could make an argumentation why forest owners¿ co-operatives were not successful in getting large number of members is that forest owners in Lithuania do not know the difference between co-operative type enterprise and other types of enterprises. Another important factor is to show the real benefits for forest owners the co-operative could produce for its¿ members.

Moreover, according to the survey, members of the co-operatives should be similar to each other by geographical location and size of forest holding as well as have similar problems in relation to private forest holding management.
Basically, the forest owners¿ co-operatives should put much effort in self-promotion and change the current image, because private forest owners in Lithuania identify forest owners¿ co-operatives with Soviet co-operatives only because of wording. Second conclusion could be that the range of services provided by forest owners¿ co-operatives do not meet the needs and expectations of private forest owners.

2. Plan of activities 2004-2005