Estonian Ornithological Society LIFE00NAT/EE/7082

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Estonian Ornithological SocietyLIFE00NAT/EE/7082

• Project title Restoration and management of the
  Häädemeeste wetland complex
• Duration 01.08.2001-30.04.2005
• Total budget 675 286 EUR
• LIFE Nature contribution 75 (506 465 EUR)
• Location SW-Estonia, Pärnu County, Häädemeeste,
  Tahkuranna and Surju local communities. 10 000
  ha
• Partners Pärnumaa Environmental Department
• Häädemeeste Community
• The State Forestry Centre

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Littorina Sea dunes
Ancylus Lake dunes
The location and borders of the
Rannametsa-Soometsa Nature reserve
Timmkanal
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Conservation status of the project site

• Rannametsa-Soometsa NR established in 2000
• Partially the area was the Landscape Reserve
  since 1968
• No personnel and management plan
• Due to high values area is getting more
  international designations
• IBA (global level)
• Candidate of Ramsar area
• Candidate SPA cSAC (Natura 2000)

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Need for the Project

• Habitat degradation, habitat loss
• Poor local economical situation
• Not enough resources on governmental level
• Land ownership
• Land use (hunting, drainage, logging)
• Tourism pressure
• Community (un)awareness

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Main goals

• to secure the favourable
• conservation status of the
• habitats and species of the European
• Community importance
• to get experiences in management
• of a reserve with the complex range
• of habitats, threats and interests and
• as a potential Natura 2000 site
• to get control over the land use,
• recreation and tourism activities
• and lead them towards sustainability

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Main goals

• to use the project as demonstrative example for
  various kind of pilot activities of
  conservational management
• to test the model of protected area management,
  based on NGO, state, local authorities, private
  landowners/landusers and other stakeholder
  interplay
• to involve the local society into the
  conservational management activities and improve
  the economics
• to rise the public awareness and enhance the
  understanding of current nature conservation
  highlights

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A1. Management plan C7. Bufo calamita ponds E12. Map, leaflet for visitors
A2. Steering committee formation C8. Cleaning coastal meadows E13. Leaflet for farmers
A3. Bog hydrological assessment D1. Livestock purchase E14. Tourism facilities
A4. Public meeting D2. Grazing on coastal meadows E15. Camp sites
A5. Contracts and management agreements D3. Mowing coastal meadows E16. Bird watching towers
A6. Survey of land ownership and status E1. Work with media E17. Bird-watching hide
B1. Land lease E2. Guided visits E18. Information building
B2. Land purchase E3. Childrens summer camp E19. Signs, info-boards
C1. Blocking drainage ditches in Tolkuse Bog E4. Stakeholder meetings F1. Work of steering committee
C2. Bog restoration E5-E7. Seminars F2. Project daily management
C3. Restoration of sand patches E8. Pupils creative competition F3. Monitoring of effects
C4. Restoration of fishpond E9. Photo database F4. Assign of experts
C5. Water level management on coastal meadows E10. Travelling photo exhibition F5. Project audit
C6. Sheds, fences on coastal meadows E11. WEB page
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Project preparation process

• We organised a public meeting during the project
  writing process, where we informed the local
  community about possibility of getting funds from
  LIFE Nature and asked peoples opinions about the
  actions.
• People gave their impressions about the changes
  in nature, showed their discontent about the
  specific issues like coastal meadow overgrowing,
  lack of information and knowledge, also an
  interest to contribute. Several project actions
  and practical solutions came from locals, knowing
  the area and management techniques best.

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Obvious problems in bogs

• 40 ha of peat cutting fields
• Large scale marginal drains
• Channel, dug through the bog in 1860-ies

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Changes in landscape

• large bog waterbodies, open in 1950-ies, have
  changed to swamps or quagmires
• Owergrowth with pine

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Collaboration with

• Nigula Nature reserve
• Tallinn Pedagogical University, Institute of
  Ecology, Mire research group
• University of Wageningen
• Agricultural University of Uppsala
• Technical designs from company Maa ja vesi

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Problems quite underestimated in press and
public Interviews in Estonian radio, BBC
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(No Transcript)
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The dam was built to close the Kalakraav ditch
in summer 2005
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Water table has risen 175 cm during 3 weeks
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The mire restoration seminar in Ministry of
Environment
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The pictures, management plan and text of mire
restoration report can be found
www.luitemaa.eoy.ee
Thank You