Policy and legislative framework overview of fire management in Lithuanian protected areas

Abstract

Traditionally prescribed fire management in protected areas has not been applied in Lithuania. The need of fire use in habitat management emerges upon increasing of scientific knowledge of nature conservation specialists and protected area managers. Until now, Lithuanian legislation does not allowed prescribed fire use in landscape management. It is strictly forbidden, and anyone that provokes intentionally fire is accused of habitat and biodiversity destruction damages. Meanwhile, in the last year the first legal prescribed fire management took place in Dzukija National Park and it was a great step to reintroduce fire management in protected areas. The aim of this paper is to analyze and evaluate policy and legislative framework of prescribed fire management ant its perspectives in nearly future.