Achievements & Objectives – Summary

Wild Europe with its partners has a rolling programme. Many activities and objectives are not promoted on our website, so if you are interested in receiving more information on any particular topic, please contact: info@wildeurope.org

 

Main achievements for 2018/19

1. Drafting of Strategy for Old Growth Forest Protection from recommendations of 2017 Brussels Conference, involving 149 participants from 28 countries

1a. Initiation of Strategy – FZS partner programme through Griffiths global primary forest initiative

Of the 550,000 euro raised as a result of Wild Europe’s October 2017 conference on OGF protection, some 320,000 euro was provided for the European element of the primary forest project funded by Griffiths, and undertaken by Frankfurt Zoological Society which has been working on the following projects:

  • Updated mapping of OGF locations with Humboldt University (Berlin)
  • Development of a forest carbon model
  • Planning and establishment of community enterprise in lieu of logging in East Slovakia as part of the Wolf Mountains initiative
  • Wood fuel bioenergy project
  • Link to Griffith University (Australia) Global Primary Forest Protection network, reference international trade and policy

FZS has also now secured representation on the IUCN Primary Forest Task Force through this project

1b. Initiation of strategy for old growth forest protection – other projects

A range of other projects arising from the conference were developed in parallel:

  • Report developed on protection incentives for OGF in non-state owned areas
  • Further consultation on a standard definition structure for old growth forest
  • Representation of OGF and protection strategy to 50 Bern Convention member state (ministry) parties, generating positive feedback
  • Development of a freehold/leasehold structure for long-term protection on privately owned land
  • Proposals for working party and best practice collation with EUSTAFOR state forest agency association

2. Large Wilderness Area programme – Ongoing input to partners’ model wilderness and wild areas:

  • Sumava National Park– Czech Republic. Agreement by the Czech government to our wild nature enterprise initiative for Sumava NP, which also proposes links to BayerischerWald NP in Germany. This is thethird, non-extractive enterprise phase of our support here.
  • Romanian Carpathians– Fagaras Mountains. As an approved organisation with the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI), we provided introduction for Fundatia Conservation Carpathia (FCC) to CCI’s Endangered Landscape Programme, and input to its funding request. A grant of 5 million Euro subsequently gained. Also input to enterprise and education elements aiming at establishment of a model 250,000 ha National Park in the Fagaras Mountains
  • Bialowieza Forest– Ongoing consultation for our concept plan for significant enlargement of the core area into the UNESCO World Heritage site, first suggested in 2014 and based on community wild nature enterprise and extensive restoration
  • Wolf Mountains programme (East Slovakia, West Ukraine, South East Poland) – follow up on the non-extractive enterprise projects from the specification to Conservation Capital, initially provided and 50% funded by Wild Europe, with Aevis Foundation and Frankfurt Zoological Society as partners

3. National level

  • IUCN France– further engagement through Wild Europe’s membership of the Wilderness Group, with funding for a mapping exercise, identifying model wild and prospective wilderness areas, and strategy for addressing restoration opportunities
  • Rewilding Britain– ongoing support, including for the multi agency Pumlumon area initiative in central Wales which recently won 5 million Euro from the ELP. A new project has been identified for the Peak District National Park in Central England, and costed proposals put to government for large-scale natural habitat restoration to sequester carbon emissions
  • German government wilderness strategy– definition for Federal target at 2% of national territory reaffirms linkage to Wild Europe definition
  • Slovakia– correspondence with government, expressing appreciation of proposals for prospective transfer of national park management to the Environment Ministry

4. Development of key topic/strategy agendas

  • CAP reform proposals promoted, involving reallocation of payments towards ecosystem service provision, modification of GAEC regulations, input of Ecological Focus Area supplements tradable at regional level, and general promotion of a stronger socio-economic agenda in coordination with land user associations.
  • Definition for wild areas, now under consultation. We are seeking to parallel our 2013 wilderness definition, adopted for the EC Management Guidelines and Wilderness Register. The aim is to provide flexible criteria for wildness and its restoration with standardized application in any biogeographic and cultural circumstance.
  • Working partnership with a legal network and newly formed conservation body, developing a new form of long-term legal protection for wilderness and wild areas on private land, including those with old growth forest.
  • EC Guidelines: Phase II project developed and proposed

5. Strengthening Wild Europe’s organizational capacity

  • Wild Europe office opened at the IUCN building in Boulevard Louis Schmidt, Brussels. Wild Europe’s EU legal foundation status assessed in 4 countries for post Brexit scenario
  • Alternative national legislatures assessed for Wild Europe future constitution post Brexit

Further information is available on all these initiatives, via info@wildeurope.org

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Main achievements for 2019/20

1. Implementation of old growth/primary forest strategy

  • Wild Europe OGF/wilderness conference in Bratislava 20/21stNovember 2019
  • Lobbying for total protection of old growth/primary forest in the EU
  • Further funding and launch of Francesco Sabatini forest mapping
  • Production of definition & management principles for OGF/primary forest
  • Support for developing carbon benefits model of OGF
  • Creation of IUCN motion for improved OGF protection (Daniel Vallauri) based on WEI Strategy for Protection
  • State agency project: best practice and set-aside represented to EUSTAFOR
  • Agreement on value of OGF secured from Presidents of CEPF & EUSTAFOR

2. Further support for wilderness and wild areas

  • Wild Europe conference in Bratislava 20/21stNovember sets key targets
  • Lobbying for 10% wilderness target in EU and non-EU states
  • Support for FCC Romania, including 5.5 million Euro facilitated from ELP
  • Extended protection agreed by Czech government to Sumava NP
  • Substantial inputs to Clima Carpathia mega protection initiative
  • Support for Central European Wolf Mountains project
  • Finalisation of freehold/leasehold non-state landowning structure in UK to support very long-term protection & restoration of wild areas

3. Input for national strategies

  • Proposal for France Sauvage NGO network, including support for Macron vision of 10% haute naturalité/protection forte
  • Funding for mapping project to identify key wilderness areas in France
  • Proposals for implementation of German 2% target: PES potential
  • Finalisation & promotion of the definition for ‘wild areas’ in Europe
  • Launch of enlarged Hohe Tauern NP, Austria wilderness (Wild Europe criteria)
  • Rewilding Britain – through board, including input to English Tree Strategy

4. Development of key topic/strategy agendas

  • Membership of EC Working Party on Forests & Nature for 2020 EU Biodiversity Strategy implementation
  • Development of briefing materials for the Working Party
  • Inputs to updated 2015 EC Guidelines for Forest Management in N2000
  • Input to EU Biodiversity and Forest Strategies
  • Input to EU Restoration Strategy & targets, building on 2010 Strategy
  • Sound Science initiative launched for forest bioenergy campaign
  • Further input to 2020 CAP programme
  • Combatting bias in EC consultation on forest bioenergy

5. Promotion of conservation infrastructure development

  • Meeting facilitation and input for IUCN Rewilding Task Force
  • Development of proposals for European Investment Bank role
  • Proposals for linkage between EC N2000, Bern Convention Emerald Network and UNESCO WH and Biosphere networks

6. Strengthening Wild Europe’s organizational capacity

  • Stichting foundation structure (Netherlands legislature) chosen and prepared
  • Zoltan Kun appointed Head of Conservation, Erika Stanciu appointed Head of Policy