Pollution abstracts selective

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.

Development of Lithuanian state forestry sector is a subject, examined in this paper. Common management principles and challenges related to decisions on public sector management as well as implementation of such decisions are surveyed. State forest sector management models of European Union states are analysed as well as possibilities to accommodate those models in Lithuania under conditions of globalization and changing market economy. The new state forestry sector management model would make it possible to use state forests more effectively, harmonizing economic, ecological and social functions of forest recourses.