Economy and policy of pre–commercial thinnings in Lithuanian private forestry

This thesis investigates how well does pre-Commercial thinnings (PCT) match silvicultural requirements in Lithuania as well as how adequately are the policy instruments steering the application of thinnings. Analysis is carried in three steps. First, 15 selected sample stands were assessed in the...

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Autor principal: Mickevicius, Karolis
Formato: H2
Lenguaje:Inglés
Otro
Publicado: SLU/Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre 2013
Materias:
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author Mickevicius, Karolis
author_browse Mickevicius, Karolis
author_facet Mickevicius, Karolis
author_sort Mickevicius, Karolis
collection Epsilon Archive for Student Projects
description This thesis investigates how well does pre-Commercial thinnings (PCT) match silvicultural requirements in Lithuania as well as how adequately are the policy instruments steering the application of thinnings. Analysis is carried in three steps. First, 15 selected sample stands were assessed in the central part of Lithuania. According to the regenerations projects, prevailing tree species in all stands should have been spruce that is commercially important target tree species in Lithuanian silviculture. Results revealed that in none of 15 stands pre-commercial thinnings were performed as required by legislation. Only two stands showed some marks of thinnings. As the second step, economic assessment mostly concerned with calculations for potential economic result of PCTs in four selected model stands. Calculations were made employing methodology widely used in Scandinavian countries. The study compares cash flows, net present values and internal rates of return between treated and untreated stands. The results revealed that PCT’s pays off already at the age of commercial thinnings, and significant economic gains (IRR > 4%) are achieved, when considering the period from PCTs until the end of forest rotation. Lastly, relevant regulative, economic and informational (persuasion) policy instruments were evaluated. Forest legislation was reviewed to assess the regulatory framework. Pre-Commercial thinnings have been specified as a mandatory forest management measure in Regulations for forest fellings already in 2010, but they still were ignored by private forest owners. Control of thinnings is very contradictory due to discrepancies between regulations in different acts. Analysis of economic policy instruments was mainly concentrated on European Unions’ (EU) structural funds. Subsidies from EU funds could be easily reclaimable; however some of the requirements and procedural aspects of the application process are not well appreciated by private forest owners. This inhibits the use of such support system. The main issues are: prohibition to perform thinnings by owners themselves, relatively small percent of PCT expenses covered and too long and in some cases messy administrative process before support reaches applicant. Interviews with officers from Regional Environmental Protection Departments as well as private forest owners uniting associations confirmed that courses for private forest owners could be the most important informational policy tool for promotion of best practices. Analysis also revealed that owners are not well informed about such courses and participation is still weak. Possible reasons are further discussed.
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spelling RepoSLU62872013-11-22T15:09:24Z Economy and policy of pre–commercial thinnings in Lithuanian private forestry Mickevicius, Karolis private forest owners pre-commercial thinnings policy instruments net present value internal rate of return This thesis investigates how well does pre-Commercial thinnings (PCT) match silvicultural requirements in Lithuania as well as how adequately are the policy instruments steering the application of thinnings. Analysis is carried in three steps. First, 15 selected sample stands were assessed in the central part of Lithuania. According to the regenerations projects, prevailing tree species in all stands should have been spruce that is commercially important target tree species in Lithuanian silviculture. Results revealed that in none of 15 stands pre-commercial thinnings were performed as required by legislation. Only two stands showed some marks of thinnings. As the second step, economic assessment mostly concerned with calculations for potential economic result of PCTs in four selected model stands. Calculations were made employing methodology widely used in Scandinavian countries. The study compares cash flows, net present values and internal rates of return between treated and untreated stands. The results revealed that PCT’s pays off already at the age of commercial thinnings, and significant economic gains (IRR > 4%) are achieved, when considering the period from PCTs until the end of forest rotation. Lastly, relevant regulative, economic and informational (persuasion) policy instruments were evaluated. Forest legislation was reviewed to assess the regulatory framework. Pre-Commercial thinnings have been specified as a mandatory forest management measure in Regulations for forest fellings already in 2010, but they still were ignored by private forest owners. Control of thinnings is very contradictory due to discrepancies between regulations in different acts. Analysis of economic policy instruments was mainly concentrated on European Unions’ (EU) structural funds. Subsidies from EU funds could be easily reclaimable; however some of the requirements and procedural aspects of the application process are not well appreciated by private forest owners. This inhibits the use of such support system. The main issues are: prohibition to perform thinnings by owners themselves, relatively small percent of PCT expenses covered and too long and in some cases messy administrative process before support reaches applicant. Interviews with officers from Regional Environmental Protection Departments as well as private forest owners uniting associations confirmed that courses for private forest owners could be the most important informational policy tool for promotion of best practices. Analysis also revealed that owners are not well informed about such courses and participation is still weak. Possible reasons are further discussed. Šis darbas yra skirtas jaunuolynų ugdymo kirtimų kompleksiniam vertinimui privačiuose Lietuvos miškuose, apimant tiek ūkinį, tiek ir teisinio reguliavimo įvertinimą. Siekiant tikslo – įvertinti miško ugdomuosius kirtimus privačiuose miškuose – darbo pradžioje buvo iškelti trys uždaviniai: Pirma, atlikti privačiuose miškuose esančių, 15 – 20 metų amžiaus miško sklypų, būdingose eglynams augavietėse (Myrtillo – oxalidosum) inventorizaciją (natūraliai atžėlusių ir želdintų) ir įvertinti jaunuolynų ugdymo kirtimų reikalingumą šiuose sklypuose. Inventorizavus 15 sklypų buvo nustatyta, kad nei viename iš jų nebuvo pilnai vykdomi jaunuolynų ugdymo kirtimai, kaip to reikalauja teisiniai aktai, ir tik 2 sklypai buvo įvertinti kaip turintys ugdymo kirtimų požymių (gulintys stiebai, kelmai). Antra, atlikti jaunuolynų ugdomųjų kirtimų ekonominį vertinimą. Kitaip tariant įvertinti kokią ekonominę naudą teikia, savalaikis jaunuolynų ugdomųjų kirtimų atlikimas. Skaičiavimai atlikti keturiems modeliniams, anksčiau inventorizuotiems, sklypams, pasitelkiant Skandinavijos šalyse paplitusią metodiką. Norint įvertinti miško teikiamą ekonominę naudą, nepakanka vien tik apskaičiuoti pajamų bei išlaidų skirtumą. Vertinant projekto generuojamus pinigų srautus, taikomi įvairūs vertinimo metodai. Šiame darbe vertinti du ekonominiai rodikliai: vidinė įplaukų norma, sutrumpintai IRR (internal rate of return) ir grynoji dabartinė vertė NPV (net present value). Atlikus ekonominę analizę paaiškėjo, kad pajamos, gaunamos įvairiose miško kirtimo stadijose, kuomet jaunuolynų ugdomieji kirtimai atliekami, viršija tas pajamas, kurios būtų gaunamos nevykdant ugdomųjų kirtimų. Išlaidos jaunuolynų ugdomiesiems kirtimams atsiperka jau retinimo kirtimų metu. Trečia, įvertinti teisinius, ekonominius ir informacinius politikos instrumentus, kurie paskatintų miško savininkus atlikti ugdomuosius kirtimus. Analizė atskleidė, kad teisinis miško ugdomųjų kirtimų reguliavimas privačiuose miškuose yra nepakankamai apibrėžtas, todėl jaunuolynų ugdomųjų kirtimų priežiūra ir vertinimas tai atliekančių institucijų dažnai yra ignoruojami. Ekonominių skatinimo priemonių apžvalgoje daugiausiai dėmesio buvo kreipiama į Europos Sąjungos teikiamą paramą miško jaunuolyno ugdomiesiems kirtimams atlikti. Apklausiant privačius miško savininkus išaiškėjo, kad norint paskatinti pasinaudoti paramos priemonėmis, būtina padidinti finansavimo iš Europos Sąjungos fondų intensyvumą ir leisti savininkams patiems atlikti jaunuolynų ugdomuosius kirtimus savo sklypuose. Apklaustų privačių miško savininkų asociacijos atstovų ir Regioninių aplinkos apsaugos departamentų inspektorių nuomone, Lietuvoje kol kas nėra kompleksinės privačių miškų savininkų konsultavimo sistemos, kuri padėtų savininkams suprasti ugdomųjų kirtimų reikšmę, tačiau kursai, kuriuose būtų aiškinama jaunuolynų ugdomųjų kirtimų nauda, būtų labai reikalingi ir naudingi. SLU/Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre 2013 H2 eng other https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/6287/
spellingShingle private forest owners
pre-commercial thinnings
policy instruments
net present value
internal rate of return
Mickevicius, Karolis
Economy and policy of pre–commercial thinnings in Lithuanian private forestry
title Economy and policy of pre–commercial thinnings in Lithuanian private forestry
title_full Economy and policy of pre–commercial thinnings in Lithuanian private forestry
title_fullStr Economy and policy of pre–commercial thinnings in Lithuanian private forestry
title_full_unstemmed Economy and policy of pre–commercial thinnings in Lithuanian private forestry
title_short Economy and policy of pre–commercial thinnings in Lithuanian private forestry
title_sort economy and policy of pre–commercial thinnings in lithuanian private forestry
topic private forest owners
pre-commercial thinnings
policy instruments
net present value
internal rate of return