Seminar on grassland management performed

The seminar "Management of biologically valuable grasslands within the context of Rural Development Programme" took place on June 17, 2014 in the Information centre of Dviete floodplain nature park, „Gulbji" farm of Bebrene parish. The seminar was organized within the framework of LIFE+ project DVIETE and the project "Supporting the sustainable development by integrating the requirements of environment and nature in policy planning documents".

Seminar was opened and moderated by Andrejs Briedis (Latvian Fund for Nature, LFN). Edmunds Račinskis, manager of the LIFE+ project DVIETE (LFN) informed about the history and aims of establishment of the nature park as well as current LIFE+ project. Indulis Āboliņš (Rural Support Service, RSS) told about conditions for application for funding connected to management of biologically valuable grasslands under the Rural Development Programme. Participants were addressed by Benita Štrausa (Administration of Bebrene parish, “Dvietes senlejas pagastu apvienība”), who informed about socio-economical situation in the parish and expressed the will for maintenance of regional landscape by traditional management. Solvita Rūsiņa (Latvian University, expert of grassland habitats) told about grassland management from the point of view of biological diversity.

After the lunch participants had a look at restored open grassland landscape from the outlook platform of Putnu sala and visited grassland areas at the left bank of Dviete river, where mulching of scrub stumps was done during the last spring within the LIFE+ project DVIETE. Participants were discussing, when these areas will correspond to conditions for funding under the Rural Development Programme.

At the end of the seminar, after return to the Information centre, participants negotiated on different topics, connected to grassland management, including possibility of targeting management of biologically valuable grasslands to maintenance of indicator species of these habitats and to audit management by environmental experts, as it is in several other European countries; joined seminars for inspectors of RSS and grassland experts. Participants of the event agreed on several recommendations for grassland management within the new planning period, including cancelation of requirement for mowing of pastures, where animals are grazing in appropriate density whole year, as well as not to require mowing of meadows twice a year, because it would affect national populations of grassland birds disastrous. Participants agreed also on the recommendation to include grassland areas, restored within EC LIFE projects or other public funded projects, among the areas, appropriate for funding under the Rural Development Programme, immediately after the end of those projects, to ensure continuous management of these areas.

39 persons took part in the event, including land owners and managers, representatives of the Administration of Beberene parish, Rural Support Service, Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre, Nature Conservation Agency, Latvian Fund for Nature, Latvian Ornithological Society, Beef Cattle Breeders' Association, ARK Nature, Elm Media, “Vides fakti”, and others.

Ilze Priedniece

18.06.2014.