On December 20-21, in the framework of the SNPA-project, a workshop “Formation of a modern management plan (“proekt orhanizatsii terytorii”) of a protected area (PA)” was held in Lviv. The meeting was attended by international and national experts, the representative of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources working in the sphere of protected areas management of PAs, members of the project team, and also participants from the eight protected areas supported by the project, totally about 30 people.

The purpose of the meeting was to develop modern requirements for the formation of a modern management plan (“proekt orhanizatsii terytorii”) of PAs in accordance with international standards, as well as to agree on ToR for management plans development, which will be implemented by the SNPA-Project within these territories during 2018-2022.

“This workshop is a critical stage of approval of the management projects ToR. Actually, broad engagement of stakeholders to the approval process and critical discussion of materials helps to improve the quality of the requirements for a modern management plan and bring its functionality closer to international requirements. This is a multi-stage process, and we are on the final straight. Above all, there is a common understanding of the methodological approaches, criteria and requirements of the management projects of PAs among all participants in the process “, – summed up Bohdan Prots, Conservation Officer of the SNPA-Project.

The international short-term expert for Protected Area Management Michael Jungmeier of the SNPA Project, who is involved in the development of such plans for the eight target projects PAs, emphasized on the importance of developing of management projects for PAs.

“I have been developing management plans for PAs for over 25 years in different countries, and with the time I’ve realized that such plans are critical tools for managing parks. Such plan is extremely important as it combines all information about the state of the territory, the existing management, staff and capabilities, as well as the needs of society. We have already visited target areas of the project, examined the existing plans and evaluated the necessary indicators, developed ToRs which we have discussed with the PAs representatives today, ” said Michael Jungmeier.

The representatives of the project target PAs emphasized on the need for such plans for their PAs and the importance of their development with the involvement of different parties.

“Very interesting, meaningful, and, most importantly, useful workshop, especially considering that our park, for example, faces the development of plans according to European standards for the first time, and such a meeting helped us to understand it better”, – shared his impressions Vitalii Stratii, Deputy Scientific Director of Vyzhnytskyi National Natural Park.

After the corrections discussed during the workshop are implemented, further details of the ToRs will be clarified with the representatives of PAs and then they will be sent to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and KfW in order to receive approval before being put forward for an international tender for the implementation of this project task.