The Association of Owners of Private Forests (PMSA) announced Friday that its members will protest in Kaunas region on Monday due to unsatisfactory conditions in the forestry sector.
“Continuing the farmers’ protest campaign, forest owners will drive with their equipment on the roads of Kaunas county starting 10 a.m. 15 January,” the association stated.
On 8 January, members of the Agricultural Council (ŽŪT), an organisation uniting farmers, staged protests by lighting bonfires. At the end of January, its members will continue their campaign and will drive to Vilnius in agricultural equipment. They will be joined by owners of private forests.
According to the association, conditions for forestry are deteriorating in Lithuania. Forest owners are dissatisfied with new regulations in the protected forested areas of the Natura 2000 network.
Head of the association Giedrė Šlevinskė says that new protected habitats have not been legalised yet, but felling in specific areas has already been suspended.
Owners of private forests demand to expand protected areas only in state-owned land. They also demand for an explanation how revenue from taxing raw timber by a 5% tariff is used.
The association is also striving to have biofuel from third countries banned as its supply violates sanctions. It calls for exemptions on fuel used in forestry activities as well.
Farmers meanwhile complain about the regulations aimed at restoring permanent meadows, as well as about the expansion of protected areas, an increase of excise duties on fuels and the situation in the dairy sector due to low milk purchase prices.