On 4 April at 11.00 hours in the Fire and Rescue Museum on 5 Hanzas Street in Riga the Ministry of Interiors in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment of Latvia, the Environment Protection Club, the fire fighters, the insurance company "If Latvia" and the state owned enterprise "Vides projekti" Ltd already for the third year in turn will give a start signal for grass fire fighting patrols, thus opening the campaign "Don't Burn Your Country!".

The slogan of this year’s campaign is "Burning is not cool! Grass burning is violence!"

Mr. Ivars Godmanis, the Minister for Interior, Mr. Raimonds Vējonis, the Minister for Environment, Mr. Andris Morozovs, the Chairman of the Board of the insurance company „If Latvia”, Mr. Arvīds Ulme, the President of the Environment Protection Club and Mr. Aivars Pencis, the Head of the Fire and Rescue Service will take part in the campaign opening event.

It is intended that Latvian roads for two weeks will be patrolled not by four but by eight grass fire fighting patrols, consisting of environment protection volunteers and fire fighters. The aim of the patrols is to educate the population and to identify the grass fires swiftly, thus helping fire fighters to come to the location speedily, before the fire has spread to vast areas. The grass fire fighting patrols will work in close cooperation with the regional structures of the State Fire Fighting and Rescue Service and State Police.

Special attention this year is paid to the education of children and youth. For that reason with the financial support of the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund the state owned enterprise "Vides projekti" Ltd will demonstrate a performance in schools – "Why wept the stork?". This musical narration with the lyrics and music of Inta Paleja and Andris Gailītis, is planned to be shown in 64 school in all Latvia. The performance is supplemented by a gallery of pictures with works of schoolchildren, submitted for the poster contest of 2006, telling about harm caused by the grass fires. Approximately 11 thousand school students will be able to see the performance.

Within the framework of the campaign "NO to grass burning!" organized by the state owned enterprise "Vides projekti" Ltd, as in the years before, in cooperation with the postal company “Latvijas Pasts”, the state railroad company "Latvijas Dzelzceļš" and the Centre for Curriculum Development and Examinations, educational posters, cards and stickers will be distributed. For making these materials works of professional artists and students, the winners of the poster contests of 2006, will be used.

Also, the Latvian television will demonstrate a video clip "Cut or Burn?" and the radio station "Skonto" will play an audio clip, informing on damages caused by burning of the old grass.

The campaign is supported by the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund and by the insurance company "If Latvia", informational support – by the Latvian TV and the radio "Skonto".

Additional information: Margarita Apine, Manager of Public Awareness Department, Phone 7225377