National Forestry Sector Development Programme for 2012-2020.

The National Forestry Sector Development Programme (Programme) is a national sectoral programme to implement the long-term forestry strategy of Lithuania. It was created in 2012, and it will be implemented during the 2012-2020 period. The Programme defines the strategic objective for the development of the forestry sector, other objectives for the development of the forestry sector, the tasks for achieving those objectives, as well as the criteria for their assessment, the funding for the implementation of the Programme and the authorities that implement the Programme. The Programme has four main objectives for the forestry sector.
The Programme will seek to preserve Lithuanian forests and increase their area and resources by increasing forest coverage of the country (afforest unused land and land unfit for agriculture, as well as provide financial incentives for afforestation of private and state- owned land); developing reforestation on the genetic-ecological basis with quality forest reproductive material valuable in terms of selection, optimise the production of the forest reproductive material with a view to supplying the market with quality forest planting stock in the long term; and increasing the areas of oak woods in the country. The Programme will also seek to ensure the rational use of Lithuania’s forest resources and increase the productivity of the stands by restoring the economic and commercial activities in all the forests reserved for restitution and not used for this purpose, through the sale of such forests at auctions or assignment to forests of national importance; balancing the volume of thinnings, sanitary and final fellings of forests, and increase the volume of non-merchantable timber and forest felling residues used for biofuel production; and creating preconditions for the implementation of continuous forest management. In addition, the Programme will seek to increase the economic efficiency and competitiveness of forests by promoting investments, especially innovations, in the forests and forestry; enhancing the efficiency of activities of the State forest enterprises by ensuring the stable profitability of non-current assets used in the state-owned forest sector; and including deductions from income earned from the sale of timber of private forestry and state-owned forestry managed not by the State forest enterprises in the financing of the general forestry needs.
The Programmed will seek to ensure adequate protection of forests against the spread of diseases, pests and fires by upgrading the forest sanitary protection and fire prevention systems. In addition, the Programme will seek to preserve and increase the sustainability of forest ecosystems with account of their ecological and social role and the impact from climate change by increasing the ecological and landscape stability of the forest ecosystems; promoting the development of recreational forest functions and the establishment and maintenance of recreational infrastructure facilities in the forests; and creating preconditions for the preservation of cultural heritage sites and their monumental environment in the forests.
The Programme is implemented according to a plan of specific measures drawn up for three years that covers the implementing measures for the Programme objectives and tasks to be implemented within the time period defined in the plan. A responsible implementer is assigned to each measure, and the implementation period and the funding source are indicated. Three Programme implementation plans are drawn up for 2012–2014, 2015–2017 and 2018–2020. The plans of the Programme implementing measures are approved by the Minister of Environment. The implementation of the Programme is coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, while monitoring and supervision are conducted by the State Forest Service.