Description
The purpose of the project is to develop innovative mechanism for open habitats management and good condition maintenance in accordance with harmonious development principles in the protected territories, by engaging local communities into the project. The objectives of the project include: preparation of strategic planning documents for open habitats restoration and biological diversity maintenance, acquisition of material resources to ensure long-life of open habitats management and good condition maintenance mechanisms, completion of practical works of open habitats management and good condition maintenance and assurance of sustained management. In the course of the project, Gražutė and Kurtuvėnai RP open habitats will be recorded and targeted programmes for open habitats restoration and good condition maintenance in the parks will be developed. The targeted programmes to sustain habitats will be implemented by employing different measures. For Gražutė RP, in cooperation with Zarasai Branch of Lithuanian Farmers Union, cattle will be purchased and provided to local communities on the basis of gratuitous use. Machinery will be purchased for biomass removal, habitats management and cattle transportation. In Kurtuvėnai RP, equipment for haying and horse pasturing will be acquired and open habitats will be managed by signing agreements will local communities. The burnt barn will be rebuilt and the production line for recycling biomass, not suitable for fodder, which must be removed from the meadows in order to protect biological diversity, into compost and litter for horses will be fitted in the rebuilt barn. The Kurtuvenai Regional Park and Zarasai Branch of the Farmers Union (Lithuania) and HS Group AS (Norway) will participate in the implementation of the project.
Summary of project results
Gražutė and Kurtuvėnai Regional Parks belong to the group of wooded regional parks abundant in lakes. With local community ageing, vanishing conventional farming open habitats get covered with trees and bushes. It results in diminishing biological diversity. In 2013 Gražutė RP territory had only 17.7% agricultural land area declared, while Kurtuvėnai RP had less than 1%. The purpose of the project was to develop an innovative mechanism for open habitats management and good condition maintenance in accordance with harmonious development principles in the protected territories, by engaging local communities into the project. The objectives of the project included: preparation of strategic planning documents for open habitats restoration and biological diversity maintenance, acquisition of material resources to ensure long-life of open habitats management and good condition maintenance mechanisms, completion of practical works of open habitats management and good condition maintenance and assurance of sustained management. During the project, Gražutė and Kurtuvėnai RP open habitats were recorded and targeted programmes for open habitats restoration and good condition maintenance in the parks were developed. Programmes defined the assessment criteria for open habitats, during the programmes implementation biological diversity state analysis were completed, natural and legal persons to be involved in targeted programme implementation were named, their responsibilities and reporting procedure, analysis of the terms and conditions and expected effect of successful targeted programme implementation were defined. For Gražutė RP, in cooperation with Zarasai Branch of Lithuanian Farmers Union, cattle were purchased and provided to local communities on the basis of gratuitous use. A bog of 200 ha was cleared from woody vegetation. Machinery were purchased for biomass removal, habitats management and cattle transportation. In Kurtuvėnai RP, missing equipment for haying and horse pasturing were acquired and open habitats were managed by signing agreements with local communities. The burnt barn were rebuilt and a production line for recycling biomass not suitable for fodder, which must be removed from the meadows in order to protect biological diversity, into compost and litter for horses were fitted in the rebuilt barn. A partner from Norway consulted on building and installation. Land plot owners willing to start farming were invited to attend study trips.
Summary of bilateral results
HS GROUP AS contributed with intellectual knowledge, networks, organizational and other skills to the Project; guided in the preparation of terms of reference for construction of the barn and the compost production line installation.