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Natura 2000from planning to efficient management
Katerina RakovskaNatura 2000 Expert, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme Bulgaria
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Why Natura 2000
the intrinsic value of nature & the services it provides to people
Man made goods and services – likely to increaseServices of nature – not likely to be produced in larger quantities in future
Examples of ecosystem services:–Freshwater, timber, climate regulation, protection from natural hazards, erosion control, clean air, recreation, biodiversity conservation……..
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Planning
National lists proposed by the countries
Transposition of HD and BD into national legislation
National assessments
Tools for the field work
Field work and development of documentation
Plan the funding for Natura 2000
National lists proposed by the countries
used for the so called reference lists
approved by the Habitats and Ornis Committees, an advisory body for the HD and BD
If new habitat types are proposed - Included in the Habitats Manual - The Interpretation Manual of European Union Habitats - EUR27
How to build national lists
Habitats – compare and analyze habitats types under the Palearctic classification to the EUNIS classification (or use these of neighboring countries)
Species – check national species lists against the lists in the Annexes of the 2 Directives
Terminology
o Define process of developing the network (documentation, steps, timing, stakeholder involvement)
o Make sure you involve NGOs in the process from the beginning
National legislation - transpose requirements of the HD and BD
How to assess the coverage?
Information is needed on the national distribution of habitats and habitats of species - start from here – before thinking of sites
How to collect info on national distributiono Field research o Literary data
Very important in the process!input from all available sources: research institutions, universities and NGOs
After collecting information for all habitats and habitats of species
organise assessment of coverage and start thinking of sites
Then – start work on the SDFs and GIS - based maps
After completing – SDFs, GIS based mapsassessment of the network as a whole
How PA managers could be involved
• the most knowledgeable people for their area
• could assign additional research • Prepare the documentation:
• Complete the Standard Data Forms• GIS maps of site borders
• “export” know how to other areas
How PA managers could be involved
BG example:• PAs – 5%, N2K network – 35%• National and Nature Parks coincide New N2K
sites - administrative reasons with 4 exceptions
Management – what does it involve
• Protection
• Conservation measures
• Monitoring and Assessment
Many aspects of management
• Appropriate assessments
• Designation orders – SCIs become SACs
• Develop Conservation measures
• Management plans
• Monitoring:
Detailed mapping and assessment of the Favourable Conservation Status (FCS)
• Turning the set of sites into a real network – green infrastructure
• Turning N2K into a tool for regional development.
• Practical issues
Appropriate assessments
• case by case basis
• assessment made against:
• the conservation status of the species and habitats• the contribution of the sites to the coherence of the network
• a separate regulation for appropriate assessments (AA)
• projects with obligatory EIA and SEA have AAs incorporated into the procedures
• experts doing assessments are paid by the investor!
• in many case this leads to unobjective conclusions
• cases when investors do not pay experts for negative assessments
• purpose – to show if there will be a significant negative impact on the site coherence and objectives
Conservation measures • Purpose - Maintain and achieve Favourable Conservation status
• Each country develop their own FCS criteria at site level • Art. 17 guidelines developed by the ETC at national and
Biogeographical
• In BG - A Manual on assessment of the FCS of Natura 2000 natural habitat types and species developed under a BBI MATRA project by NGOs and many experts incl. BALKANI
• The Manual defines criteria at the level of site:1) Population within the site – size and structure 2) Habitats of the species – area, structure and functions and 3) Future prospects incl. threats
Conservation measures – process in BG
• Under BG Biodiversity Act – each site is designated by an individual designated order
• This is how the Site of Community Importance (SCI) becomes a Special Area of Conservation
• Process started only for Bird Sites• Not a single designation order for a habitat site • ECJ issued the first ruling for lack of conservation measures for
Macaronesian Biogeogrpahical Areas against Spain Case C-90/10 from Sept. 2011
Conservation measures – process in BG
• Designation order contains – list of species for which the site is designated, purpose of site designation (same for all sites – protection and maintenance of habitats of listed species, site borders, numbers of property plots, conservation measures and bans.
• Unsystematic process – measures not designed by requirements of species, but different for each site depending on the economic interests for the site
Conservation measures – process in BG
Examples for bans, site Durankulak Lake:
• Moving away characteristics of the landscape i.e. (single trees or groups of trees)
• Afforestation of meadows and pastures and turning them into arable land or permanent crops
• Use of pesticides and fertilizers in meadows and pastures• Changing the land use of meadows, pastures, dunes, water bodies,
waterfowls in agricultural and forest lands with exceptions of some public projects
• Quarries• Golf courses, wind turbines and solar farms• Protected areas preserve their status and regime
Conservation measures – process in BG
• Not all bird sites have the same bans• For habitat sites – discussion for a different approach- measures
depend on the requirements of species and habitats. i.e.
Management plans in BG
• Not obligatory• A separate regulation on how they are developed and the process
of approval• Content:
– Mapping of habitats and habitats of species
– Regimes
– Zoning
– Detailed measures
– Plans for funding activities
– Monitoring plans
• Not a single management approved yet, 4 drafts.
Natura 2000 - main threats
• Underdeveloped infrastructure of the country
• Renewables – wind turbines and small hydropower plants
• Construction boom incl. ski development
Examples for solutions to some of the main threats
• infrastructure - after pressure from a long term campaign AAs of main project recommend nature friendly alternatives, i.e. the Kresna Gorge case
• Renewables– AAS recommend wind turbines out of N2K
– The Water Act bans construction of new sHPPs in sites preserving water depending habitats
• Construction boom
– financial crisis – the biggest friend of BG nature
- public pressure
- infringement procedures – 10!
Monitoring
• A big project funded by Env. OP to fulfill art.17 requirements and provide info for the 2013 report.
• Detailed mapping and assessment of the Favourable Conservation Status (FCS)
• Practical issues• Scale of mapping for designation 1:100 000• Scale of assessments – 1:5 000
Management- other aspects
• Currently we have a set of sites• Turning them into a real network • Links for migration of species• Green infrastructure – to be included in the regulations
for next funding period 2014 - 2020
Management – the biggest aim:
Nature conservation + turning N2K into a tool for sustainable local development.
based on nature friendly business main sectors which fit in with this aim: forestry, agriculture, ecotourism
Ecotourism – good examples:
certification systems in BG: Green House Certificate (BAAT) & PAN Parks business partners Main principles of certification of PAN Parks business partners:
act as the ambassadors of the PAN Park (giving info to visitors or support the park in other ways)
get advertisement through the park and the PAN Park foundation
Tourism – bad examples:
Agriculture and Natura 2000
Declared candidates and areas for support in the 2007-2011 period
Management - forestry
• Forest management plans - obligatory appropriate assessments
• Regional Environmental Inspectorates –not much experience, AAs carried out formally
• Problems to date – forests managed mainly as sources of timber
• However progress made – a regulation from August 2011 stipulating regimes and measures for forest under Natura 2000 – covers 33 habitats
• Measures needed for species are not full
Regimes and measures forest under N2K
• Main principles:– Tolerate autochthons species– A ban on forestation with foreign species or origins on
forestation of natural open spaces– At least 10 % of the habitat remains as old growth forests with
no forestry activities and timber extraction allowed.– Defined at the level of “plantation” or forest unit. The FCS
Manual sets out 10% of the sites to have old growth forests!– After calamities, windbreaks etc leave some space for natural
succession– Low intensity of logging (20-25%) on smaller plots– 15 m. buffer areas along the rivers
Regimes and measures forest under N2K
• Specific requirements for each habitat, i.e. 91W0 Moesian beech forests:– 8-10% dead wood– Over 40 years of restoration period for logging– tolerate gradual conversion of coppices into seed plantations
and wait for the restoration maturity of beech and oak 80 – 90 years.
– ….
