Land Management Law.

The Law determines principles for land management in Latvia. Its purpose is to promote sustainable use and protection of land. The following principles are identified by the Law in the use and protection of land: (1) in planning the use of land, the local government provides for efficient management and sustainable development of natural resources in the spatial development planning documents; (2) the local government must indicate territories with the lowest land quality assessment and territories which due to their location and configuration are not appropriate for the use in agriculture or forestry, as priority for changing the category of the agricultural land and forest land; (3) the local government in the spatial development planning documents must indicate degraded territories as priority for building; and (4) the land owner, possessor, and user may not cause harm to land and must take into account a balance between the needs of the society and the rights of owners. The following conditions shall be observed in the use and protection of land: (1) if the quality assessment of agricultural land exceeds 50 points, the local government shall ensure land preservation of this valuable agricultural land, determining restrictions for land subdivision and for changing the category of land use; (11) if the quality assessment of agricultural land exceeds 45 points, but does not exceed 50 points, the local government may determine restrictions on land subdivision and on changing the category of land use; (2) land shall be used according to the use of territory determined in the spatial development planning documents of the local government or the use of territory lawfully commenced; (3) the land user shall carry out activities in order to preserve the quality of land and soil and prevent their degradation; (4) in carrying out activities which are related to damaging the upper layer of soil, the land user shall comply with the requirements for land recultivation; and (5) the land user, in alienating land which is partly or completely located in the degraded territory, shall inform the acquirer of the immovable property thereof.