Agricultural Development and Environmental Protection in Transylvania.
Fundația ADEPT, founded in 2004, is a biodiversity conservation and rural development NGO based in Saschiz, Romania.
+40 (0) 265 711 635
Email: office@fundatia-adept.org
Fundatia ADEPT Transilvania
Str. Principală, 166, Saschiz, Mureș, 547510, România
LIFE TransilvaCooperation
GOAL
Demonstrate how landscape-scale cooperation can improve conservation management of Habitats Directive grassland habitats of farmland N2000 sites in Transylvania, and improve effectiveness of agri-environment measures, halting the loss of species and habitats of European importance.
OBJECTIVES
- Develop habitat, species, land use maps for Angofa and Viscri valleys including landscape features.
- Develop local management plans in the two valleys, co-designed with the many small-scale land managers, in order to implement cooperative agri-environment management with full local support.
- Carry out concrete habitat restoration actions, whose effectiveness will be measured by baseline and then annual species monitoring, on minimum 240 ha, according to local requirements: reducing scrub, returning grassland from pasture to hay meadow, fencing of parcels to reduce stocking rate and reduce abusive grazing of haymeadows, returning abandoned land to managed grassland.
- Return from unfavourable to favourable conservation status, by concrete conservation actions, minimum 240 ha of the following habitats: 40A0*; 6210; 6240*; 6510.
- Promote future good management, to maintain favourable conservation status, of approximately 1800 ha of grassland and associated landscape features, at valley/water catchment scale, of which minimum 500 ha are HD grassland habitats, through local management plans.
- Establish a demonstration farm at Angofa Valley, including by building innovative livestock buildings mostly on the footprint of the existing farm buildings, and by buying and demonstrating innovative (in Romania) equipment (including mowers, mobile herd management equipment). By using local materials and simple but effective designs, this will show how livestock and grassland management improvements (offering better biodoversity results, better income for farmers and better welfare for animals) can be done at costs accessible to local communities.
- Training of farmers in Natura 2000 sites, especially young farmers, in cooperative landscape-scale biodiversity management.
- Promotion/dissemination. Demonstrate to farmers, policy makers, general public how biodiversity friendly farming in N2000 areas can be economically viable by the use of innovative low-input management techniques, landscape-scale cooperation, well-targeted RDP payments (especially agri-environment payments but not only), and development of new products / better marketing.
EXPECTED RESULTS
- Monitoring methodology developed incorporating as far as possible Nature 2000 Favourable Condition Tables, and results-based indicator species, to assist the two approaches being used together in N2000 sites. Two habitat, species and land use maps, one each for Angofa and Viscri valleys
- Two local management plans (Viscri and Angofa), co-designed with land managers. Propose these to Min. of Environment for incorporation in N2000 Management Plan for the area
- Demonstration farm established, equipped with innovative livestock handling buildings and equipment, grassland management equipment, with long term role in training, policy influence and public dissemination after project end
- Concrete habitat restoration actions on min. 240 ha of HD grassland habitats, improved from unsatisfactory to favourable conservation status. Includes 40 ha of meadow and 200 ha of pasture, all HD grassland habitats
- Approximately 1800 ha of grassland and associated landscape features, at valley/water catchment scale, including c. 500 ha of HD grassland habitats, assured future good management under the locally-agreed local management plans
- Two farmer associations/ farmer groups attend courses in biodiversity management of HD grasslands in N2000 sites (2 courses each year for 3 years). Farmer associations will be total 50-60 farmers
- Cooperative management approaches adopted by 8-10 farmers on c.800ha in Angofa valley, 40-50 farmers on c.1000 ha in Viscri Valley, including grassland and associated landscape features
- Local/regional/national policy makers have better understanding of innovative management approaches, consider their use in implementation of Natura 2000 management plans.
- Visitors and media understand better the role of integrated management approaches and of how N2000 can work together positively with communities in farmed Natura 2000 landscapes. Visitors will include general public, including special days organised for schoolchildren.
ADEPT will work with farming communities in two valleys in the Tarnava Mare area (Angofa valley/Apold Commune, Viscri Valley/Bunesti commune) to demonstrate how cooperative management based on co-designed local management plans, suited to the small-scale ownership and management mosaic, including concrete actions for habitat restoration/protection, can improve the protection of HD grassland habitats and species. The cooperative approach will improve the effectiveness of agrienvironment schemes, maintain landscape features, and improve/maintain the conservation status of threatened habitats especially wildflower-rich haymeadows. At the same time it will bring improved economic returns to act as an additional incentive to continued traditional farming. This demonstration will have local, regional and national impact, on farmers, general public and policy makers.
Laura Chirilă-Pașca
Marketing & Enterprise Manager
Fundația ADEPT Transilvania
Tel: 004 (0) 744 650 582
laura@fundatia-adept.org
Biodiversity conservation and community development in Transylvania