Šumava: a precedent case of wilderness protection in Europe- the role of NGOs and management audit

Transcription

1 Šumava: a precedent case of wilderness protection in Europe- the role of NGOs and management audit Jaromír Bláha, Friends of the Earth Czech Republic jaromir.blaha@hnutiduha.cz

2 The Šumava National Park

3 n n n n The Šumava National Park ha largest Czech NP Together with Bayerischer Wald NP one of the largest wildreness areas in Western and Central Europe: Wild Heart of Europe Green Belt core area Precedent case of nature protection not only in the Czech Republic

4 The Šumava National Park Unique complex of precious ecosystems of peat bogs, fens, mountain meadows and foremost mountain and waterlogged spruce forests

5 The Šumava National Park Home of scarce species of animals and plants (lynx, grouse,gentiana pannonica etc.)

6 The Šumava National Park Mountain spruce forests: 25% area of NP Natural disturbances Spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) windfalls

7 Šumava National Park Lesson we have learned: meassures against bark beetle (tree logging) opening of forest stands windfalls or new bark beetle attacks repeating of clearings new winfalls or bark beetle attack and so on..

8 Šumava National Park in thousands m Up to 2007, all trees attacked by bark beetle and fallen/broken by wind were logged in II. zone of Sumava NP. In 2007, some parts of forest stands destroyed by windstorm Kyrill were left without intervention. From August 2007 to 2011, increment of area covered by newly fallen or attacked trees was estimated from aerial photos. This area is converted to total timber volume (m 3 ) in individual years by multiplication with average growing stock (300 m 3.ha - 1 ) windthrow in total bark beetle in total unlogged windthrow unlogged bark beetle year

9 Šumava National Park Orkan Kyrill 2007 one of milestones

10 The Šumava National Park

11 Šumava National Park Non-intervention regime area

12 Šumava National Park Non-intervention regime area

13 Hnutí DUHA - Friends of the Earth Czech Republic (FoE CR) campaigning for Sumava NP protection Since 1994 Combination of a number of different strategies and means was used in the campaign Target groups: General public Local people NP visitors

14 Public awareness campaign Intensive media work Ø press conferences Ø press releases Ø excursions for journalists Ø info-sheets for journalists Ø other actions

15 Public awareness campaign Printing and distribution: Ø info-sheets Ø brochures Ø leaflets Ø post cards

16 Public awareness campaign web - pages petition (2002: signs collected) letters concert celebrity involvement

17 Public awareness campaign demonstrations and happenings

18 Public awareness campaign Information stalls

19 Public awareness campaign public excursions

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21 Practical work in the field summer work camps for volunteers Example - Peat bog restoration in the Šumava National Park

22 Lynx patrols : lynx and forest monitoring with public involvement

23 Other measures Studies Lobbing and negotiations International pressure (FoE, WWF, PAN Park, scientists)

24 Other measures Cooperation with scientists (statements, petitions, letters) International cooperation BUND Naturschutz, Wild Europe etc. Initiation of Czech Environmental Inspection assessments Administrative permissions processes, trials

25 Nonviolent direct actions blocades of tree cutting Other measures

26 Results of campaign 1999 Blockade stoped tree felling at Trojmezna old growth forest Better position in negotiations results in IUCN invitation by MoE % citizens support natural processes in core zones of Sumava NP including bark beatle occurance 2002 IUCN/WCPA experts visited Sumava NP. Recommendations: Consolidate and enlarge core zone with noninterference regime to 30-40% of NP area within 3-5 years No clearcuts in central parts of NP

27 Results of the campaign 2004 Felling in the fragmented core zones restricted 2005 The new NP strategy for wilderness protection, proposal of new zonation (still not approved) and new non-interference areas was prepared 2007, 2008 Enlargement of noninterference regime areas to 30% NP (some non-destructive management allowed in some parts) % citizens of Southbohemian region support natural processes in the most valuable parts of Sumava NP including bark beetle activity

28 Visitors questionaires 2009 answered by 4118 respondents 2010 answered by 3916 respondents For 68% of visitors the existence of NP is important for a decision to visit Sumava 63% of visitors expect to see nature without human interferenece

29 Wilderness in Sumava NP 2010: 30% of NP was under nonintervention or non-destructive management

30 Logging in Sumava NP 70% NP: cutting of trees affected by bark beetle is allowed

31 The Šumava National Park Our long-term goal is to keep 30 % area of Šumava NP in non-intervention mode and to enlarge it to at least 50% by 2030 (following the IUCN recommendations).

32 2010 -?: Threats to wilderness in Sumava NP Results of elections 2010: ODS (Civic Democratic Party) won, Mr. Tomáš Chalupa is MoE minister We have to ensure, that it will not be Brussels, civic society or ecoterrorists, who decide about how Europeans live ČTK, ČESKÁ POZICE, Urb

33 2010 -?: Threats to wilderness in Sumava NP February 2011: Mr. Jan Stráský appointed as a new director of Sumava NP Nature is enemy and therefore it is necessary to fight against it.

34 Threats to wilderness in Šumava NP Plenty of forest stands older than 100 years Timber for more than 300 millions Euro could be extracted immediately

35 l Threats to wilderness in Šumava NP Construction booms pressure to have new building grounds

36 Threats to wilderness in Šumava NP Plans to build ski-resorts

37 2010 -?: Threats to Šumava NP n n n Spring 2011 tree felling started in some parts of wilderness area and use of pesticides at other parts of Sumava NP n The plan for fight against bark beetle was not checked by Natura 2000 impact assesment violation of EU legislation Foundation of the Shadow Scientific Council of Šumava NP Academic debate, articles, researches

38 Blockade In summer 2011, tree logging became massive in some previous wilderness areas, situation culminated in open conflict between the proponents of wilderness in Šumava NP and Šumava NP headquarters when the active citizens tried to block tree felling in valuable areas.

39 Blockade Ptačí potok / Birds creek area

40 Blockade

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44 Blockade Another demonstrations in front of MoE, petitions, celebrity involvement

45 After blockade Felling at Birds Creek area was stopped, however it resulted in32 ha of clearcuts

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47 After the blockade October 2011, approved December 2013: regional court decided that both Police actions against people who blocked tree felling and the logging itself was against the law March 2012: Ombudsman confirmed, that tree felling in previous non- interference regime areas was illegal because of absence of Natura 2000 impact asessment and absence of exceptionons by Czech Nature Protection Act

48 After the blockade August 2012: Czech Environmental Inspecition fined Šumava NP Headquarter for illegal cutting

49 Šumava and Natura 2000 June 2012: Letter from Janez Potocnik to minister Chalupa: put a halt to the large scale logging in the Šumava NP September 2012: Visit of Stefan Leiner and Ctibor Kocman from DG Environment, European Commission What will be the result and final possition of European Comission?

50 2010 -?: Threats to wilderness in Šumava NP Minister Chalupa appointed Jiří Mánek as new Šumava NP director. Jiří Mánek previous deputy and right hand of director Stráský

51 2010 -?: Threats to wilderness in Šumava NP New director first steps: Preparation of new management plan Proposal to downgrade Sumava NP from IUCN cathegory II. to cathegory IV. Kicked off experts from Sumava NP (zoologists, visitor managers, eviromental education specialists )

52 2010 -?: Threats to wilderness in Šumava NP Minister Chalupa: proposal of a special new legislation on Šumava NP, which: Opens some of the key wildlife sites to large-scale clear-cut logging; Enables development projects including a ski resort in the middle of a key capercaillie and lynx habitat; Explicitly states that development projects will not have to respect national park conservation anymore

53 FoE CR campaign for better Sumava NP Act Lobbing Media work Public mobilisation of Czech people (key tool) Web pages Sumava is living! Each Member of Parliament obtained more than 500 indiviadual letters and s Together with scientists Sumava NP visitors involvement

54 International response Letter signed by 72 European directors (FoEE, WWF, Birdlife, PAN Parks, EEB, national park directors.) asking for protection of Sumava NP IUCN letter: further exploitation of natural resources and construction of infrastructure in the area of National Park would definitively by in opposition to the preservation of the natural environment and the Šumava ecosystem FoEE complaint to EC

55 Threats to Sumava NP? l l l June 2013 Czech Government fell down August 2013 Czech Parliament broke up November Elections

56 New minister Autumn 2013 New environmental minister Richard Brabec (ANO)

57 New Sumava NP director May 2014 New Šumava NP director Pavel Hubený Nature protection is priority goal for national park NP Authority stop violation of Nature Protection Act

58 New management plan New provisional management plan approved for keep Sumava NP as protected area cathegory II. by IUCN No new ski resorts Some other dangerous projects canceled But only 23% NP area actually left nature without human intervence /with additional 5% where a bark beetle cutting is allowed only exceptionally (really can be none)/

59 New Sumava NP Act proposal from Senat house no true wilderness areas, felling trees possible also in core zones under some unclear conditions constructions allowed at two thirds of NP area forestry rules same as in commercial forests

60 New Sumava NP Act proposal from Senat house Space for ski slope at Hranicnik Parcels in villages move from state property to municipal property what enable to sell them Enlargement of III. zone (constructions possible) around villages New public roads in capercaillie breeding area

61 FoE CR campaign for better Lobbing Media work Sumava NP Act Public mobilisation of Czech people

62 Petition Collecting signs of Sumava NP visitors

63 Petition Collecting signs in Prague, Brno and musical festivals

64 Petition On-line: September 2014: signatures passed to Czech Parliament

65 Public mobilisation letters, s for Parliament Members

66 Public mobilisation Facebook

67 Public mobilisation Concerts for Sumava wilderness

68 Where we are now Czech Parliament postpone the decision last week MoE is preparying Nature Protection Act amendment proposal

69 FoE CR proposal of Sumava NP Act and zoning: Underlayer natural spruce forests (Acidophilous spruce forests, Peat spruce forests) based on Natura 2000 mapping

70 FoE CR proposal of Sumava NP Act and zoning: Underlayer natural beech forests based on Natura 2000 mapping

71 FoE CR proposal of Sumava NP Act and zoning: Underlayer peat bogs, springs and transitional mires based on Natura 2000 mapping

72 FoE CR proposal of Sumava NP Act and zoning: Underlayer other valuable habitats based on Natura 2000 mapping

73 FoE CR proposal of Sumava NP Act and zoning: Underlayer capercaillie breeding areas

74 FoE CR proposal of Sumava NP Act and zoning: Underlayer canyons of wild rivers

75 FoE CR proposal of Sumava NP Act and zoning: Underlayer overlaps and consolidation

76 FoE CR proposal of Sumava NP Act and zoning: Based on Natura 2000 mapping, 52,2% of NP is included in the core zone: Mountain spruce forests Peat bogs and other wetlands Natural beech forests Other valuable biotops Canyons with wild rivers Capercaillie core breeding areas 48,8% non-intervention, 2% meadows management view/119

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78 EuroNatur Award EuroNatur Award for 2014 to the Hnutí DUHA - Friends of the Earth, Czech Republic THANK YOU!

79 Thank you for your attention