Legal Aspects of Managing Recreational Forests in the Republic of Lithuania: Case Study of Vilnius Town Forest Management

Abstract

This study analyses the legal aspects of managing recreational forests in Lithuania. As a case study, it selects the forests under the management of Vilnius town. The paper discusses the division of forests into groups and sub-groups depending on their functional purposes and management objectives, the adaptation of Vilnius town forests to meet the requirements of social, recreational, cultural and ecological needs depending on forest farming intensity. The objective is to examine the balancing act between individual forest functions, which in many instances may be even contradictory: forest utilisation for wood harvesting, forest protection, provision of recreational service, etc. Conclusion is drawn that a single entity could be charged with the task to manage all state forests located in the territory of Vilnius town. The second proposed alternative is to enhance forest policy development and supervision functions within the administration of Vilnius town and then to contract one or several companies for implementation of these policy objectives.