Local community and NGOs - acting together in conservation of legally protected areas - case study of SOS Velebit mountain campaign Jagoda Munic 1999 jagoda@rudjer.irb.hr Keywords: mountains, local communities, conservation, protected areas, Velebit. INTRODUCTION Conservation of protected areas is traditionally seen as a task of governmental bodies, park management or other implemented bodies. Local communities are perceived as a body that should be educated how to live with conservation measures, as many of measures interfere with their daily activities and properties. The third party is visitors whose needs collide quite often with those of local community and conservation measures (management bodies). I would call it "TOP to BOTTOM" conservation and/or education, where conservation efforts are lead by management bodies and are aimed to local community and visitors. However, in extreme examples one can observe "BOTTOM to TOP" flow of information and education that in long run may have an influence on management such is in the case presented here. Environmental campaign SOS for the Mt. Velebit, started by efforts of local community of Lukovo Šugarje, when they become aware that their village is one of proposed spots for a coal power plant that Government plans to build on Adriatic shore (2x 350 MW of power). The village itself is situated at the border of the Nature Park (5th IUCN category) and the area is declared as UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN General features and biodiversity Mt. Velebit, is the biggest mountain of Croatia (more than 145 km in length) and as a part of the Dinaric Alps has an important place in the preserving of biological diversity within Europe. About 2700 plant species can be found on the mountain, and 78 of them are endemic plants. The best known is Degenia velebitica, which can be found in only few spots. Wide spectrum of habitats is present at Velebit, starting from practically virgin forests of spruce and beech to highly degraded rocky landscape, influenced by human impact for several millennia. It is also a natural wall between the
Adriatic Sea in the west, and Southwest region of the Great Hungarian Plain in the east. Consequently, on the Adriatic, western side of the mountain Mediterranean and submediterranean flora and fauna can be found, changing to subalpine and alpine flora at the top. On the continental side, both deciduous and coniferous forests can be found. Biological diversity is a result of versatile climate zones, but also due to ice-age periods. Northwest-Southeast direction allowed plant species to move south retiring in front of glaciers and then again back north by the end of the ice age. Under such circumstances, differently than most other mountains in Europe that have acted as natural borders such as Pyrenees and the Alps, Dinaric mountains acted as a natural bridge between north and south, making the Balkan Peninsula a refuge for European species. Today, some of tertiary and quartary relicts can be found here, such as Degenia velebitica and Sibirea croatica, endemic plants of Mt. Velebit. Moreover, the entire karst area served as a refugee for species that have survived underground through ice ages. An example of such species is a worm Marifugia cavatica, a cave dweller. Cultural diversity and history The Velebit Mountain is mentioned in historic documents in year 335 BC in the description of Adriatic coast between towns of Karlobag and Senj by the Greek Skilax. The first man known by name that had passed the mountain was the Roman Emperor Oktavijan (Octavian) in year 35.B.C. Romans were present at Velebit for several centuries, they used the passes Vratnik and Oltari to cross it, but penetrated deeper in the mountain. On the mountain itself is a Roman monument from the first century A. D. It is a law written in stone therefore known among local population as a "Written stone" that arranged use of a spring between the two Japod (Iliric) tribes. Japod culture left some significant archaeological monuments from preroman and roman period, as the Lika-Senj County was the centre of their culture. One of the most peculiar examples is, "Horvatova cave" in the foothills on Mt. Velebit, 200 m deep, with a graveyard and a refuge in the cave. The entrance, 100 m deep pitch was descended in still undetermined way. Arrival of Slavic tribes (Croatians) to the Adriatic coast through Mt. Velebit has been recorded, as well as baptising in Christianity. On the mountain meadows called Jezera, above the village Krasno, a stone altar was found. For this reason, nearby village is named Oltari, as well as Crikvine (rocks in Rožanski kukovi - all at Mt. Velebit). In the XIV Century the region was culturally very developed. Thus the first printing works and the first printed book in Croatian is printed on the foothills of the Mt. Velebit in the Kosinj village that was an important cultural centre of that time. Later the printing works opened in Senj (the second in Croatia).
Turks came on the Adriatic coast and had special impact on the region, due to severe battles lead longer than a century and a half. But mountains were natural protection for the local communities, the danger was beyond any rock and stone for the conquers. Hajduks - villains and heroes fought against Turks and were hiding in the mountains. Town Senj was famous after "Uskoci" soldiers that fought against Turks and were known as brave warriors that used the mountain for ambushes. There is a fortress in Senj to remind of that time. A Poet Petar Zoraniæ described and admired to the Velebit in his book "Planine" (Mountains) published in 1536. In recent years the area was devastated by the war (1991-1995) when significant number of local population fled. The mountain itself was not populated in the last 20-30 years due to permanent population emigration, both of economical and political reason, and the same happened to the plains during and after the war. Although after the war some of people returned, the area is poorly developed with high unemployment rate and the most of population is of older age. LAND USE HISTORY In this mountainous region main land use in the past was logging, cattle and sheep keeping and peasant agriculture. As the region is on the crossing between continental and Mediterranean part of Croatia it also served as a transportation zone, mountain passes are known to be used for centuries. In NP Paklenica, sheep and goat keeping was widespread, that caused the degradation of forest cover (At whole mountain that is a buffer zone of the Reserve, forests were intentionally slashed and burned for centuries to provide pastures, but due to sloppy hills, strong winds and rain shadow they have produced barren rocky landscape). However, in the recent years in the NP Paklenica forest cover is recovering due to lack of permanent grazing. DEVELOPMENT Mt. Velebit divides Adriatic coast from the Lika plateau; the first is relatively developed area with tourism as the most important income generating activity. The second is a highland region with low population density, poorly developed in comparison with the coastal regions and heavily damaged during the Homeland War (1991-1995). The mountain divides the two, but could transfer the development of the coastal area inland to minimise visitor pressure form the coast and National Park Plitvice Lakes in vicinity and to spread development more evenly in the region. SOS FOR VELEBIT - a timescale As the local communities become aware of the risk of having a power plant in the village, they asked for help all environmental NGOs and relevant bodies
which addresses they were able to find. In the most cases they have got an answer that this is a political decision and a political problem not an environmental and that there is nothing they can do about it! Finally, they reached the NGO Zelena akcija (Green Action) and got a support on 15th March 1997. Although they have not got support from the Croatian Mountaineering Association, the biggest club - Croatian Mountaineering Society "Zagreb - Matica" joined the action on 2nd April 1997 that will be crucial for the future development of the campaign. On the 24th April 1997 the action was officially announced on the press conference and the petition against power plant becomes public. On the 21st May 1997 - the 32,000 people signed the petition against building a power plant and the petition is submitted to the Parliament. 18th June 1997 - The Parliament accepted the Strategy of Energy development in which Lukovo Šugarje is a proposed place for a coal power plant. 6th August 1997 - ZA, HMS "Zagreb-Matica" and local community of Lukovo Šugarje submit the case as illegal and unconstitutional (building of Power Plant within a protected area) to the Constitution Court. To alert public even more and educate it about the problem ZA and Croatian Mountaineering Society "Zagreb-Matica" organised "A week of Velebit" (22nd - 28th September 1997) in Zagreb. One week campaign that has included 5 round tables, 10 lectures, photo exhibition, litter cleaning action at Mt. Medvednica next to Zagreb, Games and entertainment at Mt. Medvednica and an Open Air free rock concert; it is estimated that 10,000 people attended the concert, while lectures and round tables gathered approx. 100-150 visitors each. Lectures and round tables were held by 45 scientists and professionals from different fields representing different views to the topic. The campaign was widely represented in media, even on the State TV. 20th November 1997 - a letter to the President is sent, asking for an audience to submit petition against the Power plant, signed by 71,151 people. 21st March 1998 - a campaign of tree planting in Lukovo Šugarje at eroded foothills of Mt. Velebit at the place where a coal power plant supposed to be built. 22nd April 1998 - On the Planet Earth Day, ZA organised demonstration against Power plant in front of hotel in which foreign companies had presentations about project involving coal power plants implementation in Croatia. 21st May 1998 - Round table discussion at the OTV (independent local television that covers Zagreb area - regarding the topic of new coal power plants in Croatia, the same topic was forbidden to present at the state television a
couple of years ago). At the end of the show telephone votes were shown, 1,033 calls were for the plant building, while 13,987 were against. 8th July 1998 - ZA start action named SOS for Adriatic, spreading the action against a power plant on Adriatic coast. 24th July 1998 - The Government decided that Lukovo Šugarje is not appropriate place for, building a Coal Power plant. 19th January 1999 - The president announced that no coal power plant will be built in vicinity of Adriatic coast. The campaign was supported by the following scientific and professional bodies: Community of town Novalja Community of town Karlobag Lika-senj County Town Pag City Council Croatian Forestry Society Academy of Forest Sciences Croatian Meteorological Society Pag Salt Factory Board of National Park Paklenica Town Rijeka City Council PRESSURES During this intensive 2 years long campaign people involved were exposed to all sorts of pressures, the most severe were those to local community - a small community far away from city centres and cut out of information flow. The village Lukovo Šugarje was cut out of electricity very often, once even up to 17 times per day (when is stormy, sunny, windy or whatever weather conditions), including 24 hours at Easter (1997) when they had a celebration in village. Local priest frightened people that the army would make a nuclear dump site in the village if they refuse the coal power plant - suggesting them to choose for the lesser evil out of the two. A member of the local government threatened people that they will not be able to use the mountain pastures for sheep grazing and build houses in the village inside the Park if the area would be better protected.
During the "Week of the Velebit" campaign lectures were held in the Cultural and Information Centre in the Zagreb city centre - starting at 5 p.m. every working day (till 10 p.m.), during round table debates and lectures whole street was cut of the electricity every day. The fist lectures were shortened and the rest were held under candlelight and acetylene lamps brought by cavers. Later, in media, the Electricity Company announces that cut off was due to repairing works. Campaign analysis The campaign is unique among environmental campaigns in Croatia because many things happened for the very first time, never before so many people from different backgrounds and societies acted together so coherently. The campaign has had the three main actors: 1. local community (HART) 2. an environmental NGO and scientists (KNOWLADGE) 3. Mountaineering societies (POWER) - for information and petition they have used a network of mountaineering community (long tradition, big number of members...) However, as the mountaineering societies can be defined as NGOs one can note that in among noted stakeholders authority bodies are missing. Only National Park Paklenica (within the borders of nature park Velebit) has had management body at the time although by law the whole protected mountain had to be governed. Thus the conservation efforts flow from the BOTTOM to the TOP, urging the responsible bodies for better protection. (In 1999 the nature park Velebit finally got a management body, and another National Park "North Velebit" is declared in June). The action is of particular importance, because it showed to people that their opinions and actions do matter (for the fist time in the country, with no democratic practice in the recent history, such results is crucial for the future public involvement in environmental actions). In summer 1998 the action split into two less intensive, yet long term phases. 1. SOS for Adriatic - Lead by Green Action (ZA) its aim is to promote environmentally friendly electricity production for the hole coast (solar energy and wind turbines instead coal power plants 2. SOS for Mt. Velebit (ECO VELEBIT?) HPD Zagreb-Matica and ZA - This action should be long term campaign that would co-ordinate and enhance information flow between all stakeholders including management bodies in efforts to offer local communities an alternative way of developing - sustainable.
ECO VELEBIT - SUSTAINABLE FUTURE? In effort to present an alternative to classical development of the areas involving constructions of power plants or factories in and around protected areas the campaign is designed to offer long term education and sustainable developments. There are many problems in the area: high unemployment rate, high percentage of elderly population, lack of infrastructure (waterworks and sewage systems), unmanaged dumping sites in the mountainous Karst area and landmines in some parts of the mountain. Several actions have been planned some of started already: 1. mountaineering house and eco-centre in village Lukovo Šugarje 2. new paths - with appropriate marks and education tables 3. developing an information network between all stakeholders Notes to readers The paper was presented at IRNES MEETING, Edale, England, 12-14.09.1999 and IUCN Conference, Learning to Sustainable Promoting Understanding in Protected Areas, Losehill hall, England, 09.-12.1999.