MINUTES STAKEHOLDER MEETING Annual Forum of Local Authorities Biebrza National Park Osowiec-Twierdza 8 28-29 November 2012 [1]
Preliminary agenda of the meeting The role of local authorities in adaptive management on protected areas with respect to the climate change Centrum Edukacji i Zarządzania, Biebrzański Park Narodowy, Osowiec-Twierdza 8, 19-110 Goniądz 28-29 November 2012 28.11.2012 r. Wednesday 9:00 Opening speech 9:10 12.15 Information on BNP activities in 2012-13 in regard with management on protected areas and about the change of the BNP legal status from the 2012 BNP Director R. Skąpski; discussion on proposed measures including management adaptation 12.15 13.30 Lunch 13.30 14:15 How much does the storage cost M. Grygoruk (BNP) 14.15 15.00 How much for tourism? K. Ramotowska (Biebrza Eco-Travel) 13.30 14.15 Coffee break 14.45 15.30 Adaptive management of wetlands in Biebrza Valley in the face of climate change J. Sienkiewicz (IOS) 15.30 18.00 Individual problems stakeholder s comments 18.15 dinner 29.11.2012 r. Thursday Field Trip Upper Biebrza Basin [2]
List of participants: [3]
[4]
Impressions from the Forum [5]
Information The stakeholder forum is an annual meeting of stakeholders, which are involved in decision making in areas located adjacently to the Biebrza National Park. This year 37 participants of the meeting focused on management problems and obstacles, which come along as a challenge to regional management with restrictions of environmental conservations. Ecosystem services concepts were introduced to participants by Mateusz Grygoruk (BNP), Katarzyna Ramotowska (Biebrza Eco-Travel) and Jadwiga Sienkiewicz (IOS). In the beginning of the meeting, the newly introduced Director of the Biebrza National Park Mr. Roman Skąpski - welcomed guests and speakers and presented the lecture his concepts National Park in certain areas. In the next part of the meeting, Mateusz Grygoruk HABIT-CHANGE coordinator in the Biebrza National Park, presented the results of analyses on flood done in the framework of the project and discussed the amounts of money that come along with natural processes of flood in terms of the storage role in the catchment. Later, Mrs. Katarzyna Ramotowska presented her calculations the income from tourism and economic benefits that come along with the touristic activities for the nature of Biebrza Valley. In the discussion, in the following parts of the meeting, the debate was arranged in between commune authorities and farmers. Also some remarks as to the management and money transfer to the communes were given by local authorities. Some criticism was presented from the side of stakeholders (farmers, local authorities) due to their expectation as to the park to share with them the benefits (money) and to cooperate with local inhabitants on the level of single villages. Conclusions of the Annual Forum of Local Authorities 2013: - more emphasis should be put on transferring knowledge to single people and single areas (particular villages) - BNP has to continue the intensive stakeholder communication, but on the lowest level possible, - activities should be continuously reported to local people, they can see the benefits from the nature, but they hardly consider that in their day-to-day management HABIT-CHANGE Project Coordinator in the Biebrza National Park Mateusz Grygoruk [6]