State could take over highest hilltop

Take note – story published 7 years ago

The ownership of Latvia's highest point, Gaizins (312 m) could be taken over by the state as the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry is considering its options for taking over the top of Gaizinkalns mountain, minister Kaspars Gerhards told LETA Monday.

The minister has not yet met with the owner of the place, but said that such a meeting could be organized in a couple of weeks.

Taking into consideration that Gaizinkalns is a conservation area, the Nature Conservation Agency could become the new owner of the mountaintop, said Gerhards.

"There are different legal options," said the minister. "If the decision is to be taken by Saeima, it will take some time. On the other hand, if agreement is to be reached with the local government, it might happen faster," said Gerhards.

The state taking over the hilltop would have a symbolic meaning, taking into consideration the upcoming 100th anniversary of the State of Latvia, believes Gerhards.

In that scenario the state could use EU funds to make the place much more important and popular with residents and guests of Latvia, according to Gerhards.

"The view is very beautiful indeed, and nature is magnificent," said the minister.

Latvijas Avize newspaper reported earlier that the owner of Gaizinkalns, Latvian American Inese Apele along with her sister and brothers wanted to present Gaizinkalns mountaintop, the highest point in Latvia, to the nation of Latvia.

However, they have encountered several obstacles as the local construction board is not allowing them to separate mountaintop from the rest of the land plot, saying it is too small.

Centenary mountain gifts are all the rage, as a plan by Norway to hand Finland an Arctic peak shows.

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