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Timber is one of the most important natural resources in Latvia. In 1997, the branches related to forest and using timber as a raw material (round timber, saw-timber, slabs, matches, furniture, cardboard, paper, etc.) contributed with 35.7 % to the total Latvian export, or in currency terms - 347 million Lats.
In the National Environmental Policy Plan of Latvia three of the mentioned priority problems are connected with timber resources: reduction of biodiversity, landscape degradation and non-sustainable use of natural resources.
One of the main goals of the Latvian Forest Policy is to ensure sustainable management of forest areas. The sustainable management means the management and use of forest resources in a manner which preserves the biological diversity, productivity and regeneration ability of forests. The aims of the forest policy is to prevent the reduction of forest areas by setting limits for the transformation of forest land, to ensure the prevention and increase of the value and productiveness of forest land by facilitation of afforestation of areas not used for agricultural and other purposes.
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