The Lithuanian parliament on Thursday gave the green light for establishing new military training areas in the western districts of Tauragė and Šilalė.
Ninety-four MPs voted in favour, one against, and six abstained.
After the vote, Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas thanked MPs for their decision and pointed out that the new government will have to establish a division-sized training area.
“Not a manoeuvring area, but a full-fledged one, so our military has all the conditions it needs,” he said, offering his support.
Several Seimas committee members visited the sites and met with local communities, district leaders, and other stakeholders.
Based on their feedback, the training area in Tauragė District was reduced by 565 hectares, or 13 percent, compared to the original plan, and the area in Šilalė District was cut by 335 hectares, or 12.5 percent.
Additionally, following committee amendments, the training areas will not involve live ammunition firing and will be used for manoeuvring.
According to the Defence Ministry, the training areas have also been moved further away from residential zones, homesteads, recreational areas, nature reserves, and cemeteries.
In establishing the training areas, some forested land and homesteads will be taken from local residents. Financial compensation will be provided, with property valuations conducted by the National Land Service.
Some areas within the planned training zones are protected, so the Environment Ministry will conclude a protection agreement with the land and forest managers. This will specify areas where negative impacts, such as deforestation, trench digging, and vehicle traffic, should be avoided.
It is also proposed to allow the military to begin using the training areas immediately after the law is passed, without waiting for land division procedures to be completed.
Among other things, a procedure will be set up to compensate hunters whose hunting grounds will be taken for public use.
On Thursday, the Seimas is also expected to approve amendments to the Law on Hunting to ensure that hunters who lose their hunting grounds due to the training areas will be assigned new hunting areas without a competition process.
It is planned that the new training areas will accommodate units ranging from company to battalion size, but will not have military territory status, meaning there will be no shooting ranges or heavy military equipment, and people will be allowed to visit with the Armed Force’s permission.
The Tauragė and Šilalė training areas will be granted the status of projects of special national importance.
Defence Minister Kasčiūnas has said that the existing training areas in Lithuania are insufficient, and there is a growing need for new ones due to the increasing numbers of allied troops, conscripts, and reserve personnel, as well as purchases of new military equipment.
Kęstutis Budrys, President Gitanas Nausėda’s chief national security adviser, has said that the Tauragė and Šilalė training areas will not be enough to meet the Armed Force’s needs, adding that Lithuania needs two more such areas.
The Grand Duke Kęstutis Motorised Infantry Battalion is based in Tauragė District, and Šilalė District is home to the Brigadier General Motiejus Pečiulionis Artillery Battalion.
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