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Upper Narew River Valley Cultural Landscape Conservation Plan - Poland
Project Goal: To preserve the Upper Narew River Valley, Poland by developing a cultural landscape conservation plan in cooperation with local stakeholders and US experts.
Project
Overview
Located
in Northeast Poland, the Upper Narew River Valley is one of Central Europe’s
largest wetland areas. The natural, yearly ebb and flow of the network of rivers
and streams in the valley, along with traditional farming practices that have
co-evolved over centuries, have created an important habitat for birds and
animals whose numbers are declining throughout Europe.
However, the valley’s fragile ecosystem and way of life are changing
rapidly due to a combination of pressures.
Local groups which have been working to preserve this area for 15 years,
including the North Podlasie Society for Bird Protection (PTOP) and the Regional
Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe Country Office Poland (REC
Poland), have asked for US support to introduce new and innovative conservation
practices to the valley. The United States-Central and Eastern European
Environment Foundation (UCEF), the US Forest Service (USFS), and the US National
Parks Service (USNPS) have agreed to send experts to Poland to present ideas
about cultural landscape conservation and to help in developing a comprehensive
cultural landscape conservation plan for the valley. A cultural landscape management strategy will reduce the
threats to this fragile ecosystem by helping maintain the balance between humans
and nature that has existed for so long in the valley.
Defining the
Challenges
The
Upper Narew River Valley is a prime example of a cultural landscape, "a
geographic area, including both cultural and natural resources and the wildlife
or domestic animals therein, associated with a historic event, activity, or
person or exhibiting other cultural or aesthetic values."
The Upper
Narew River Valley is characterized by traditional mixed farming.
The rhythm of the seasonal floods of the Narew River is one of the main
factors shaping the cultivation of the valley and its surroundings.
The valley forms a patchwork of meadows, orchards, mixed crops and woods.
Buildings are concentrated in compact villages with a small – scale
network of rural roads.
For centuries, agriculture practices in the Upper Narew River Valley have been in balance with nature and have followed the rhythm of the spring overflows of the Narew River. Intertwined with the respect for the floodwaters are special forms of architecture, house decorations, churches and synagogues, dress, song and dance, and even flower, vegetable, and fruit species unique to the Valley. A cultural resources conservation strategy is an important first step in preserving not just species and habitat but the way of life in the Upper Narew River Valley.
The fragile balance of the Upper Narew River Valley is threatened by major pressures, including: the loss of traditional farming methods, the introduction of inappropriate, high-intensity agriculture, new building methods that are out of keeping with the land and its people, lack of integration of protection initiatives into land use planning, and agricultural drainage work, flood control projects, and pollution from sewage outlets into the river. These insults result in the degradation of distinctive landscape features the diminishing of natural and cultural values, the weakening, and even breaking, of the links between people and the land. The overall result is that the diversity, distinctiveness, and value of the Narew valley landscape are declining rapidly.
Project Strategy
PTOP
has requested assistance and training from the REC Poland and UCEF to prepare a
cultural landscape conservation plan for the Upper Narew River Valley.
PTOP is seeking innovative methods of managing the changes taking place
in the valley, while minimizing damage to its natural and cultural values.
Activities will include:
 | Assess best practices in cultural landscape conservation strategies in the US and in Europe. |
| Present best practices findings at a one-week workshop in the Upper Narew River Valley. At this meeting, an “Expert Panel†of US Parks Service and Forest Service representatives and Polish project leaders, local parks authorities, architects, local land-use planners, and landscape architects will evaluate the various cultural landscape models and determine which most closely fits the needs of the Narew Valley. |
| Develop a framework for the cultural landscape conservation plan for the Upper Narew River Valley. The framework will identify the vision of the future condition of the valley, develop tools and techniques for implementing the plan, and outline the indicators and standards by which change will be measured and monitored. |
Project Costs: $27,590
Please contact UCEF directly if you would like to get involved or give on-line to UCEF!
| Environmental Ministers from EU
Candidate Countries meet with EU Reps in Brussels
At the end of November, the Environmental Ministers from EU candidate countries met with EU Environmental Commissioner, Margot Wallstrom, and President of the Environmental Council, Magda Aelvoet, to discuss matters related to EU enlargement. Topics scheduled for discussion included sustainable development, compliance with EU environmental rules, preparations for the 2002 World Summit in South Africa, green house gas emissions trading, and EU water legislation. Awards were also expected to be given out to cities in candidates countries that have already harmonized their laws to EU standards. A study presented at the meeting, "Benefits of Compliance with the Environmental Acquis for the Candidate Countries" shows that candidates countries will benefit from implementing EU environmental legislation in many ways, especially with respect to air and water pollution. This was the seventh such of the informal meetings. Results and documentation from the meeting(s) can be ordered from Ms. Samia Bechini, tel: +32-2-299 15 97, email: . For additional information, please contact: Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen +32-2-299 12 23
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (ERBD) releases 2001 Transitions Report According to the EBRD, "The 2001 Transition Report is a unique source of information on developments in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltic states and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Drawing on the EBRD's experience as an investor in 27 countries in the region, the Report offers a comprehensive analysis of each country's progress in the transition towards a market economy." This year's report has a special focus on the energy sector, noting that this sector is highly under-developed in the region and characterized by inefficient energy use. Excerpts from the report can be found at
News from the In August, REC Headquarters launched a
new, updated version of its NGO Directory for Central and Eastern
Europe. You can access the searchable directory from REC's homepage
or via: The REC Country Office Yugoslavia is proud to announce the successful launch of their website, at , in recognition of World Environment Day on 5 June. The Serbian-language website includes a full description of REC Yugoslavia's activities and programs, the and the latest news from the region. There is also a searchable database of environmental NGOs and experts in operating in Yugoslavia. REC Yugoslavia is currently seeking funding to translate all or part of the site into English. REC Yugoslavia also released 2 books in June addressing the challenges facing the environment in Yugoslavia. The Serbian-language book, Right to Adequate Environment, edited by Dragoljub Todic and Dr. Vid Vukasovic, discusses the Yugoslavian legal system, the Arhus Convention, and public participation. Environmental Analysis of FR Yugoslavia, edited by Dr. Radoje Lausevic and Milos Katic, evaluates the status of the environment in FR Yugoslavia and looks at the role of different national and international stakeholders involved in the environmental scene. For more information, please contact REC CO Yugoslavia, Dr. Radoje Lausevic, or visit the website from the link above.
New Resources Important Information for NGOs working in CEE, Russia, and CIS In order to facilitate the work of NGOs worldwide and to promote communication between NGOs and the United Nations system, a global network is being created that will link NGOs among themselves and to the UN. This network is coordinated by regional NGO coordinators. These coordinators will advise other NGOs wishing to obtain consultative status at the United Nations and facilitate the accreditation process. The coordinator for Eastern Europe and Central Asia is International Association ‘Znanie’, which has general consultative status at the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. We invite all NGOs interested in obtaining consultative status at the United Nations or interested in widening their scope and outreach to read the following information and to join in this network. The ‘NGO Informal Regional Network’ has been created. It will be a means of drawing even the smallest and most isolated organizations into a system that provides information and support and the opportunity for collaborative action. Furthermore, the NGO Informal networks will provide a forum for exchange of views, information dissemination and practical experiences of cooperation with other UN system agencies in the respective fields covered by the networks. It would thus contribute to the harmonization of individual efforts of UN system agencies in their endeavor to foster cooperation with civil society at large. The NGO Informal Network will be supported through the intermediary activities of designated organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council that have recognized standing within a particular area of expertise. Five such organizations have been identified in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Western Asia/Arab States, Eastern Europe and CIS, Latin America, Western Europe and other states. International Association Znanie has been selected regional coordinator for Eastern Europe and the CIS. It will serve as an advisor and facilitator to ALL NGOs WISHING TO OBTAIN CONSULTATIVE STATUS AT THE UNITED NATIONS. In the near future it will also provide a network that will unite NGOs in Russia and the CIS with the help communication platforms, databases with useful information for NGOs, possibilities for education and training, and help in obtaining funding for NGO activities. For
more information, contact: Patrick van de Coevering, Counsel
to the President New SE European NGO E-List The Foundation for Democratic Change has launched a new discussion group at the address aiming to improve the exchange of information among and about the Southeast European initiatives, up-coming events and running projects. The list is part of the FDC's work in support of the development of the civil society in the region with respect to the Stability Pact's declaration and priorities under Working Table I. The list is open to new members, also to post relevant information or announcements. For
more information, contact: Anca Ciuca |
|
|
Small Grant Facility |
|
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Research Fellowship Program |
| Cottonwood Foundation |
Small Grant Facility
The Small Grant Facility has been established as a result of a continuous debate between the Danish NGO community and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. The Facility will meet a demand for support to mainly smaller environmental projects and will try to avoid developing complex application procedures.
The main partners of the project are DEPA, the Department for Danish Cooperation for Environment in Eastern Europe (DANCEE), the Danish Outdoor Council and The Regional Environment Center in Budapest.
The Small Grant Facility Coordination is situated in the Danish Outdoor Council, who is responsible for giving advice on the Small Grant Facility and for facilitating contacts between NGOs. The Small Grant Facility will support projects with no more than 250.000 DKK.
The Small Grant Facility will receive applications from both Danish NGOs and NGOs from the target countries (see below).
Objectives and principles
The objective of the establishment of the Small Grant Facility is to
involve more organisations in the environmental work in the South and East of
Europe. The development potential of especially smaller NGOs should be realised
in regards to the DANCEE support programme, and the Small Grant Facility will
try to ad-dress this need. The Small Grant Facility will thus encourage smaller
projects to be developed in co-operation between Danish and target country
NGOs, in order to facilitate an exchange of knowledge and experience.
Target Countries
Target countries for the Small Grant Facility are:
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, FYR
Ma-cedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and
Yugoslavia.
The requirements of the Small
Grant Facility
In order to qualify for support from the Small Grant Facility, an applicant must
fulfill the following criteria:
| 1) Be an NGO / Civil-society organisation working on a strictly non-profit basis. In short, the following type of organisations can be supported: |
· NGOs (organisations working for idealistic purposes)
· Civil society organisations (organisations where members of society are
organised to promote own interests)
· Political parties
· Church organisations or other religious organisations
· Grass root organisations (local self-help groups and likewise)
· Local organisations (village councils and likewise)
· Cultural organisations (culture, sport and likewise).
| 2) Demonstrate that the environmental project falls within one or more of the following priority areas of the Small Grant Facility: |
A. Organisational development of relevance to environmental work.
B. Co-operation on citizens' participation in environment / nature management and decision-making.
C. Promotion of outdoor recreation with consideration for nature and the environment.
| 3) Be engaged in opening new partnerships and new
projects in the present and future DANCEE countries. The applicant must
co-operate with a partner NGO / civil-society organisation based in the
target country, or be engaged in a project preparation phase with the aim of
identifying a partner. Concrete projects as well as project preparation
activities like networking and / or sharing of experiences are valid for
support. |
| 4) Demonstrate that the project is viable, and that
the applicant will carry costs of the project, either in-kind or by carrying
a share of the total budget. |
| 5) Inform the public of the results of the project
during implementation (preferably) or after completion. |
| 6) Send final report to Danish Outdoor Council including an evaluation on the impact and future replication of the project. |
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Research Fellowship Program
WCS-International conserves wildlife and ecosystems by generating and applying innovative scientific and field-based solutions to critical problems. WCS-International addresses these problems by focusing on landscape and seascape species whose conservation has the greatest positive impact on biodiversity as a whole and on large, threatened, wild ecosystems. The Wildlife Conservation Society conducts more than 320 field projects in 50 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America. Research Fellowship Grants are awarded for one year and assistance is not renewable under this program.
Annual Deadline: January 1 and July 1
The Request-for-Proposal (RFP) is a small grants program administered by WCS-International that is designed to support individual field research projects that share our philosophy, approach and conservation focus. The RFP will not limit any individual from applying, however, most of our grantees are: professional conservationists from the country of research, and/or post-graduates pursuing a higher degree
Please consider the following restrictions before submitting your proposal:
| Organizations are not eligible for funding. |
| Previous research fellows are not eligible for funding for the same project. |
| Faculty and/or research advisors should not be listed as principal investigators unless they plan to carry out the majority of the field work. |
| The principal researcher must write the proposal. Applications written on behalf of another individual will be disallowed. |
Application Guidelines
The RFP will accept applications from any individual. Organizations are not eligible for funding. Awards may not exceed $20,000. The average award is about $7,000. RFP grants are awarded for one year only. Proposals may be submitted simultaneously to other funding organizations, but WCS must be informed of any other sources of funds and pending applications.
The RFP does not support conferences, travel to scientific meetings, legal actions, construction of permanent field stations, tuition, salaries, overhead costs, major laboratory expenses, gene storage, vehicle purchase, captive breeding, or computer equipment. Stipends are not funded however, investigators who have no other source of support may receive modest living expenses. Faculty and/or research advisors should not be listed as principal investigators unless they plan to carry out the majority of the field work.
Please note that the RFP does not support research in North America, Australia, or western Europe. Nationals of the country of research are strongly encouraged to apply. Selection is highly competitive; less than 20% of proposals receive funding. All proposals are peer reviewed by outside technical specialists. Final decisions are made by WCS's Program Committee on the basis of technical, programmatic, and budgetary criteria.
Application Procedure
An application package consists of: proposal fact sheet, project outline, animal handling sheet, project title page form, and proposal checklist. Applicants should use WCS's project title page form (found on-line on their website). WCS requires six copies of each proposal. Applications may be submitted in English, French, or Spanish. All proposals must include an Abstract in English.
Contact Information
Program Coordinator Research Fellowship Program,International Conservation Program Wildlife Conservation Society 185th Street and Southern Blvd. Bronx, NY 10460 U.S.A. Telephone: (718) 220-5155 Fax: (718) 364-4275 Email: Web:The Cottonwood Foundation
Guidelines
Cottonwood Foundation has a very limited amount of funding available, and will only award grants to organizations that meet all four of the following criteria:
| protect the environment |
| promote cultural diversity |
| empower people to meet their basic needs |
| rely on volunteer efforts |
If your organization does not meet these four criteria, it will not be eligible for funding by Cottonwood Foundation. Approximately 40 grants will be awarded in 2001.
Cottonwood Foundation especially seeks to support organizations for which small grants will make a significant difference. Organizations in the United States and internationally are eligible for funding by Cottonwood Foundation. Organizations are not required to have 501(c)(3) status, but only charitable, non-profit organizations will be funded by Cottonwood Foundation. Political and religious organizations, governmental agencies, for-profit businesses, private individuals, and universities are not eligible for funding by Cottonwood Foundation. Organizations that have received funding from Cottonwood Foundation in past years are eligible to apply for grants, but applications should not be submitted more than once every twelve months. Applications should be submitted in English if possible.
Contact Information
Cottonwood Foundation Box 10803 White Bear Lake, MN 55110 USA Email: Tel: (651) 426-8797/Fax(651) 426-0320