Example of good practice Help locals subsist and stay - livestock farmers on Učka Management, local products;

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1 Example of good practice Help locals subsist and stay - livestock farmers on Učka Category Management, local products; Organization NP Učka Partners Hrvatske šume; Center for Agriculture and Rural Development of Primorsko Goranska County, Istria County, Agency for Rural Development of Istria (AZRI) Location NP Učka Country Croatia Protection category IUCN V Scope of implementation (local, Local national) Implementation time 4 years Number of projects Number of employees 1 (expert adviser for sustainable use) Budget EUR 48,000 Funding source State budget Project info Contact Žarko Erceg zerceg@pp-ucka.hr Achievements 10 families (40 people) living off livestock farming Production of milk, curd, cheese, and lamb Raising 1000 head of sheep (Istrian pramenka), 30 horses (cold bloods), 25 Istrian oxen Preventing the succession of 10 km2 of pasture Branding of the sheep milk cheese from Učka Organizing the Učka Fair in order to present local products for 12 years Restoring 4 puddles with the help of livestock farmers, hunters, and Hrvatske vode In the period of 8 years having over 200 preschool children visit local livestock farmers to learn about their lifestyle. Problem/opportunity

2 Problem Conflict with foresters; Conflict with local landowners; Succession - encroachment of grasslands Opportunity 1. Helping local people subsist and stay 2. Affecting the conservation of grassland habitats as biodiversity reservoirs by using those areas 3. Increasing the autochthonous offer of the park 4. Preservation of indigenous breeds (Istrian ox) Planning Prerequisites for success Institutional settlement of state land ownership and lease; Opening tenders for lease; Incentives system for livestock farmers; Make information regarding the incentives more easily accessible. Initial idea Cheese producers and park management wanted to improve their supply by improving the cheese production infrastructure and investing in it. The local population has come to appreciate the importance of improving on the traditional way of doing business regarding both the production and the placement. Strategies NP Učka Management Plan 2010; Development strategy of the Istria County. Partner roles Hrvatske šume - Provision of legal preconditions for the use of pastures under their jurisdiction. Center for Agriculture and Rural Development of Primorsko Goranska County - product branding support. Istria County and the Agency for Rural Development of Istria (AZRI) - support regarding the protection of indigenous cattle. Implementation Key Stages of the Process 1. Situation analysis of the area and the analysis of the needs of the local population. Developing a sociological study on the interests of the population.

3 2. The support for livestock farmers overlapping with the activities of the management plan (biodiversity and landscape conservation). 3. Ensuring that people have access to information about the available measures (incentives, leases) and steering them towards the competent services - incentives from the Ministry of Agriculture and counties, municipalities and towns (various services organizing 3-4 workshops). 4. After Hrvatske šume, give livestock farmers the permission to use the space. 5. On demand, assist locals in more demanding procedures - e.g. workforce problem and employment quota for aliens. 6. Product branding and placement assistance. Activities A controlled burn of encroached agricultural areas to allow reuse - cooperation with the local fire department (pilot project). Start making certified cheese with the help of the Center for agriculture and rural development and the interested cheesemakers. Organizing the Učka Fair where all local products are presented and sold. Restoration of puddles in cooperation with hunters, livestock farmers, and Hrvatske vode. Removing unwanted growth, repairing the retaining walls, deepening (sludge removal). Removing larger growth from pastures in cooperation with the locals. Work actions - team-building while removing vegetation that the livestock cannot eat (DHL Rijeka). Including livestock farmers as an additional offer of the park. Livestock farmers and their families as part of the preschool education.

4 Selection of stakeholders All interested parties in the park area. Stakeholder involvement A sociological study on park users represented the starting point. Workshops and personal contacts - door to door. Inclusion of vulnerable groups Most of the inhabitants of NP Učka are part of one of the vulnerable groups (minorities - the Albanian family has more livestock than others combined) and elderly people. Right to information All official documents of NP Učka (spatial plan, management plan) are publicly available. During the evaluation, all stakeholders are invited to workshops and public discussions. Communication NP Učka website, Facebook followers. Regular announcements and invitations for activities within the park at local radio stations and newspapers. Challenges Administrative: - Frequent changes in legal regulations and responsibilities related to the management of meadows and pastures. Changes Positive environmental Prevention of the succession of 10 km2 of pasture. changes Increase in the number and species of birds due to the restoration of puddles and grassland. Positive Economic (E) and Public sector: Social (S) Changes E: Hrvatske šume receive revenue from the lease of pastures within the NP Učka. S: Getting people to stay in the park area, better tourist offer, maintaining traditions. Local population: E: This is a primary source of income for 6 families. S: An increase in the selection of other local products, the production of new meat (branding of a special salami) and dairy products (cheese with butcher s broom). Replication and Recommendations

5 Key issues to replicate - There is a population interested in such a lifestyle and work - Permanent communication with locals - Using one example to encourage another, because it is the best way to show how things can be done Recommendations The park should employ one person who would do this as the biggest part of their work engagement. The percentage of engagement would depend on the number of local stakeholders. A facilitator in the dialogue between various stakeholder groups. All shareholders have the right to use the area. An example of resolving conflicts between different stakeholders: initially, the hunters were against horse breeders residing at Učka but over time they saw that the horses did not scare the game and that they prevented the encroachment of habitats. Sustainability The park helps livestock farmers by providing space and incentives. A point needs to be reached where livestock farming is economically viable for locals. It will not be sustainable if they cannot live from it. Implementation of the idea Local government, Natura 2000 managers and protected areas managers. Recommendations for policy improvement Revenue that Hrvatske šume generate from the concessions for grazing needs to be reduced in order to motivate the population to use the area. Isolated areas such as highland areas should have larger subsidies.