National Game Breeding Station Osogovo Is Named As the Mountain Osogovo,V Podnojieto Is

PERSONAL REPORT:

“Hunting House – Bor” – as an innovation in

OSOGOVO STATE GAME – BREEDING STATION

By Zlatina Georgieva

University of Forestry, Sofia, Bulgaria

Information for the report from: INNOFOREST

Enterprise: Osogovo State Game - Breeding Station Address: Bulgaria, Kyustendil; Str. “Spartak”52 Interviewed person: Engineer Vasil Purov – Head Manager

Information sources Assistant directors - Engineer Maryana (documents, persons): Stoimenova and Engineer Marina Velinova Kalina Peeva - Head accountant financial statement - assets and liabilities , financial report - turnover, profit, expenses; personnel and others.

OSOGOVO STATE GAME – BREEEDING STATION

The Osogovo State Game - Breeding Station (OSGBS) is made in 1996 as a part of National Direction of Forest of Bulgaria. It is called after the name of the mountain Osogovo at the foot of which is located the town of Kyustendil. The residence of the OSGBS is in Kyustendil situated at a distance of 90 km from the capital city of Sofia and at 20 km of the national border with the Republic of Macedonia. The relief of the mountain of Osogovo is very rugged. The slopes at the upper parts of the mountain have a slight declination whereas under some water streams they are steep and abrupt. The highest peak is Rouen with its 2251m above sea-level. Here prevails the typical mountain climate. The forest consist mainly of beech (Fagus sylvatica) and white pine (Pinus sylvestris) tree and are dwelled by wild–boar (Sus scrofa), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), wild rabbit (Lepus europaeus), wolf (Canis lupus), jackal (Canis aureus), fox (Vulpes vulpes), wild cat (Felix sylvestris), marten (Martes martes), badger (Meles meles) and others. On the territory of OSGBS one can hunt wild–boar, roe, fox, wolf, wild cat, ring-dove, partridge and quail. The trophy for wild-boar is 22cm, a trophy of roe-deer 350 g. The OSGBS offers ecological, horse riding, hunting and fishing tourism. Attractive shelters and rest places are available alongside with a lot of camping possibilities in maximum harmony with the environment.

Business area: Forestry and harvesting

Subject of business activities:  harvesting  saving and enriching the diversity of the game, building of hunting facilities and carrying out biotechnical activities; reproduction, resettlement, saving and protection of the game; improve on externals and trophy qualities of the game;  Plant-growing  Organizing hunting tourism

Structure and Administration of NHS “Osogovo”

Head Staff:

Post Function Qualification 1. Director (Manager) Organization and Higher education Engineer Vasil Purov Management 2. Assistant director Hunting and Higher education Engineer Maryana indulgence of Stoimenova activities to other firms 3. Assistant director Sylviculture and Higher education Engineer Marina Forest- protection Velinova Administration:

1. Head accountant (1 person) 2. Accountant - 1 3. Cashier - 1 4. Analytic specialist - 3

P ersonnel :

1. Head foresters- ( 3 persons ) –head of forest а range 2. Foresters- 3 3. Hunting guard - 2 4. Forest guard – 10 5. Seasonal worker – 5 6. Technicians – 10 7. Production workman -5 8. Drivers – 4

Total: 5 1

 M aterial and technical foundation :

Long assets:

1. Buildings and constructions: - Administration building -1 number - Buildings – 4 - Nursery-Gardens – 2 - Rest-hoses – 2 - Apartment – 1 - Shelters – 2 2. Machines and equipment: - Rope-way – 1 - Motor Sledge - 2 - Snow- plough – 1 - Generator -1 - Tap - 3 - Mowing-machine – 1 - Iron–machine – 1 - UV lamp - 1 - Band-belt-saw – 1 - UV lamp – 1 - Biotechnical equipment: чакало – 12; rack – 20; mire -2 E quipment - Roads – 6 - Corral -3 (Total area - 179 ha); 3. Means of transport (Vehicles): - Motorcycles - 2 - Motors – 8 - Mini – bus - 1 - Trucks – 4 4. Computers – 9 5. Furnishing - Copying machine -1 - Camera – 1 - TV set – 9 - Ice – box – 6 - Washing machine -2 - Sink – 1 - Stove – 1 - Grill -1 - Bar – 1 - Steam – boiler – 1 - Shot – gun – 2 6. Others: - Horses – 30

Big Game (Spring Counting 2007) Dama Capreolus Sus Cervus dama capreolus scrofa elaphus

♀ ♂ ♀ ♂ 199 41 20 31 61 63

Small Game:

Lepus Phasianus Perdix Alectoris Canis Vulpes Felix europaeus colchicus perdix chukar lupus vulpes sylvestris 115 60 45 25 10 35 40

Production:

Harvesting 2005 (m3) 2006 (m3) Cut 26260.19 30369.84 Realize 25949.28 30936.59

Annual profits (Tab. 1)

Activity 2005 2006 Increase (%) Forestry and harvesting 750000 € 954000 € * 27.2 Retail trade 94000 € 122000 € 29.8 Hotels, hostels and rest houses 95000 € 140000 € 47.4 Total: 939000 € 1216000 € 29.5 * Values are approximate.

Innovation activities: The most important innovation in the Game breeding station Osogovo is “Hunting House – Bor” – located 10 km of Kyustendil and 100 km south-west of the capital Sofia. It is located in an ideal hunting, but easily accessible, area of the Osogovo Mountain in Bulgaria. The hotel has 12 excellently furnished rooms and 3 luxury apartment, a restaurant, a reference hall, fitness and sauna. The hotel is a real paradise for the hunters and for everyone who wishes to spend a pleasant evening among family or friends. The restaurant offers a lovely atmosphere and a rich variety of local and national specialties and dishes of game meat.

This building is an innovation in this part of the country and the Regional Forestry Economic. It is an extra convenience for the hunters from Bulgaria and other countries. The Hunting House – Bor is one of the biggest in the country. The rooms and apartments enable Osogovo State Game - Breeding Station to improve the hunting tourism – individual and group at a high level. The innovation strategy includes: - Enriching the game diversity – resettlement attractive and rare game. Conservation of the trophy makings and rich population of the game at the moment. - Horsing tourism – Osogovo Game Breeding Station offer to the gests – horse riding – for hunting or a trip in the Osogovo Mountain. It is really a wonderful attraction for addicts of the nature. - Walking tour in the breeding areas – look on and photo the game. - Mountain hiking and picking forest fruit.

This innovation enable the enterprise to use the new building “Bor” in all season of the year –not only in the hunting season. The complex is successfully using at the moment as a hotel for all comers tourists – not only for hunters. This is the main advantage for the Osogovo Game Breeding Station. The combination of rich vegetation, rivers and mountain streams and vast highland meadows, creates favourable conditions for true relaxation throughout the year. The location of the Hunting house – at 100 km of the Bulgarian capital and 20 km at the borders of the Republic Macedonia and Serbia is an advantage to focus attention of foreigner hunters and tourists.

Kyustendil municipality and community of the town said: “It is beneficial for our town at all. It promotes the recreation and the tourism as a part of economy of our region.” Some private hotels have built for the last year near by the Hunting House - Bor. It assists development of recreation in the mountain but it is rivals for the national enterprise – unfortunately some of them are unfair competition (one of the threats for the enterprise). The Hunting House Bor is built 2006 with own recourses and the financial support of the Government and Municipalityof Kyustendil. (Approximately 200000 € - for the building and 60000 € for the furnishing). - The enterprise built and a road to the Hunting house in cooperation with a local firm – the one external connection in a private sector. Economic outcomes: 1. Increase the profits for the last six months with 16%. 2. Realizing the harvesting wood material in the building and furniture of the Hunting House. 3. Increase popularity of the Osogovo Game Breeding Station and the town of Kyustendil. 4. Develop the recreation in the all region. 5. Increase the game diversity in the mountain. 6. Attract many tourists from Bulgaria and foreigners.

AWOT analysis:

SWOT FACTORS:

Strenghts: 1.Varied custemers 2.High quality of the offer service 3.Use the best advantage - wood, game and non-wood products 4.Reasonable price 5.Unique for the region 6.Location

Weaknesses 1. Insufficient advertisment 2. Limited staff 3. Limited guides for the foreigner tourists

Opportunities 1. New tourists from Europian Union 2. Increase the profits for one year with 30 % 3. Increase popularity of the enterprise and the town of Kyustendil. 4. Increase the game diversity

Threats 1. Ecological pollution in the sequel of the excessive development of the recreation 2. Unfair competition 3. Poaching

RESULTS: • Strenght – 0.324 • Opportunity – 0.281 • Weakness – 0.194 • Threat – 0.201

strenght 0,35 0,3 0,25 0,2 0,15 0,1 0,05 threat 0 opportunity

weakness

AWOT analysis shows the highest values of strengths and opportunities of the innovation product. The enterprise has to develop the opportunities and eliminate weaknesses of the innovation product at the moment. But don’t ignore the threats of the innovation as an important part in the future development. In conclusion: The innovation – Hunting house - Bor is a good investment in the forest recreation field. It ensures high opportunities for development of The Osogovo State Game- Breeding Station – attract many tourists from European Union and increase the profits of the enterprise.