Improved Communication, Co-operation and Capacity Building for Preserving Biodiversity in Natura 2000 Forests
- Identification number: LIFE13 INF/HU/001163
- Beneficiary: The project implementation was co-ordinated by WWF Hungary, and in partnership with the Bükk National Park Directorate, Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate, Europa Media Non-Profit Ltd., Kiskunság National Park Directorate, Association of Hungarian Private Forest Owners and Forest Managers, Hungarian Forestry Association, and Pilisi Parkerdő Zrt.
- Total budget: 1,190,753 EUR; EU contribution 588,378 EUR; Co-financier Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture
- Implementation period: 10. 07. 2014 - 31. 03. 2018
Objectives:
- Improve the conservation status of Natura 2000 forest sites in Hungary; primarily by fostering co-operation among forest owners and managers, forest authorities, governmental and non-governmental organisations, and local citizens.
- Strengthen active communication among these stakeholders.
- Initiate knowledge exchange through efficient stakeholder co-operation in order to more efficiently achieve Natura 2000 objectives.
- Strengthen both the scientific and practical backgrounds of natural forest management, and to provide opportunities for stakeholders (forest owners, forest managers and relevant authorities) involved in the management of Natura 2000 forests to share their knowledge and experiences, and to bring their views closer together.
Results: The Life in Forests Project contributed to halting the loss of biodiversity at Hungary’s Natura 2000 sites, and to strengthening their conservation status and multifunctionality, as well as to promoting and employing sustainable forest management that better considers natural processes.
The project partners provided numerous opportunities for the affected stakeholders to meet. The objectives of these meetings included thinking together to find solutions to challenges, sharing experiences, and learning about best practices from Hungary and abroad. Furthermore, a knowledge repository, different publications, and a Forest Planning Toolkit were prepared. These outputs contribute to the dissemination of information about natural forest management practices.
The different participants and the organisers highlighted the success of the intra-sectoral discussions. Most respondents stated that the initiation of these discussions (and their fortification) was the most important aspect of the project. The discussions between conservationists and forest specialists did not all end in consensus, but they took the first steps towards each other. Lastly, the project successfully implemented a transfer of knowledge related to Natura 2000 forests and natural forest management. Although the forester-conservationist conflict could still be perceived during the interviews, there were no big differences in the opinions of the study groups. Since almost all participants and organisers would like to continue this work in some form, the success of the project can also be measured by the willingness for future co-operation.
Good practices
Continuous cover forest management – Celje Park Forests State Forest Service, Slovenia
Continuous cover forest management is a common approach in the hilly and mountainous forests: they employ selective cutting and group selection, based on the Pro Silva principles, and they respect all affected stakeholders. Clearcuts were banned by law in 1949. The same, high-level management practices are implemented both in Natura 2000 and non-Natura 2000 forests.
Involvement of people in the forest management - Celje Park Forests State Forest Service, Slovenia
80% of the Slovenian forests are privately owned, but planned, managed, and controlled by the state forest service with high level principles, in close connection with the landowners and local people.
Small scale water retention - Donau Auen National Park, Austria
The water regime of this important floodplain forest is changing very rapidly because of the dropping water level of the Danube. The applied small scale water retention methods changed the situation: the transformation of these forests were halted with the newly opened river tributaries.
Nature conservation management of Bialowieza National Park - Biosphere Reserve, Poland
The key element is the strict zonation of the park: the total area is 10 517 hectares, out of which 5726 hectares (more than 50%) belongs to the strictly protected core zone. Here only conservation activities are allowed and no timber harvested at all. The surrounding 3224 hectares is a buffer zone managed by the Polish States Forest Service with a very strict protective approach, but from this area timber harvesting is possible. The remaining areas are meadows, which are key habitats for the European bison.
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