Fire prevention
Forest fires are inevitable, but we devote significant attention to controlling this natural disaster and significantly reducing its associated risks.
- 1
Monitoring
To monitor the locations where forest fires might start, we use IQ Fire Watch video surveillance detectors and video processing software. Additionally, we rely on the assistance of watchmen in observation towers.
- 2
Extinguishing
During periods when the risk of fires is high, fire-fighting teams are formed. These teams extinguish forest fires using available fire-fighting equipment (fire trucks, water pumps, smaller fire-fighting tools).
- 3
Prevention Efforts
We establish and maintain firebreaks in forests and educate and inform the public about fire prevention.
Sanitary Protection
Our employees continuously survey the forests to detect pest outbreaks as early as possible. Upon detecting such outbreaks, we take measures to eliminate them or reduce the damage caused by pests. This involves sanitary logging, where we remove wind-thrown, broken, and snow-damaged green spruce trees, and severely damaged trees before dangerous pests can inhabit them. Additionally, we remove conifers infested by pests before the first pupae form. Once these infested trees are felled, they are removed from the forest and biochemical protection measures are employed.
Protection from wildlife
Every year we plant about 30 million seedlings. Protecting young seedlings from wildlife is one of the foresters’ most important tasks in the fall. When animals damage trees by browsing shoots or stripping bark, the trees suffer, and often die. Decay and other diseases invade their trunks, and the trees can no longer compete successfully with inferior tree species that crowd them.
To prevent browsing or other damage, seedlings are often protected with repellents. A repellent is a substance applied to the vulnerable parts of young trees (shoots, trunks) to deter animals with its smell and taste. The substances in the repellent make the bark and shoots unpalatable to animals. Repellents are commonly used on young, low coniferous plantations and are applied annually. Each year, more than 19,000 hectares are protected with repellents and other measures.
Foresters also protect planted seedlings with individual guards by wrapping them around the trunks. Once the plant grows larger, such protection is no longer necessary, and the guards can be reused to protect other seedlings.
Plantation areas are also fenced. This is a relatively expensive but effective protection method for larger plantation areas. Almost 7,000 hectares of forest plantations are fenced.
Protection methods can be combined, for example, seedlings treated with repellents can also be surrounded by protective fencing.
Protection from Illegal Activities
We aim to ensure that forestry in our forests is sustainable and that visiting forests is enjoyable. Therefore, Lithuanian State Forest Enterprises’ employees protect the forests entrusted to them and protect the products made from them from illegal activities such as unauthorized tree cutting and damage, violations of forest visiting rules, theft of produced goods, and other illegal actions. We monitor the forests under our care and conduct patrols in collaboration with law enforcement officers.