REGIONAL OPERATIVE PROGRAM THE BJELOVAR-BILOGORA COUNTY Draft Bjelovar, June 2006. 2. Basic analysis 2.1. Introduction In this portion, an overview, and the basic features of the county territory, environment, infrastructure, human and natural potentials, economic, social, administrative and business potentials of the county will be shown. The analysis is made based on available data, with the goal of insuring a high-quality foundation for ascertaining basic characteristics of life in the county and defining upcoming steps in strategies, priorities and measures for the future development of the County. Subsequently, the county resources are processed under the following headings: 1. Geographical position 2. Natural resources 3. Population and urban network 4. Administrative-territorial organization of the county 5. Transportation infrastructure 6. Communal infrastructure 7. Economy 8. Social infrastructure 9. Summary 2.2. Geographical position The Bjelovar-bilogora county, geographically speaking, belongs to the area of the Panonian (and peripanonian) mega region, mostly part of the macro region of the North Croatian outlet, and it partly borders with the macro region of the Slavonian boulder mountain range. It covers the area of four characteristic geographic entities: Bilogora (north and northeast), the edges of the Papuk and Ravna mountain ranges (east), the Moslavacka mountain range (southwest), and the Pleistocene prairies and Cesma and Ilova valleys (west, central and south). As far as the area of function is concerned, the Bjelovar-bilogora County is located in the eastern part of the group of counties of Central Croatia, the most developed area of Croatia and the key intersection of European and regional transportation routes. However, taking into account the borderline location (in regard to the group of eastern Croatian counties), and the position right between the most important transportation routes (Posavski and Podravski corridor, and the perpendicular corridor of Central Europe-Adriatic Coast, and Podunavlje- Adriatic Coast), it has stayed partially separate from the development plans, which was best seen after the interruption of secondary traffic routes connecting the north and south of Croatia through Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is one of two counties that doesn’t border with another country or with areas close to the national border. The Bjelovar-bilogora county borders: - on the north – with the Koprivnica-Krizevci county - on the north-east – with the Virovitica-podravina county - on the south-east – with the Pozega-slavonia county - on the south-west – with the Sisak-moslavina county - on the west – with the Zagreb county With an area of 2636.67km2 (4.66% of the area of the Republic of Croatia) and 133084 inhabitants (3% of the Croatian population), it is one of the mid-sized counties. 2.3. Natural resources 2.3.1. Relief and climate The basic characteristics of any landscape, including the landscape of the area of the Bjelovar- bilogora County, are given by a relief map. It’s dissection and indifferentiation define the basic predisposition on which the other landscape components are built onto – vegetation, hydrographic and anthropogenic influence. The county has a mostly sloped relief. Within that morphogenetic type, the eruptive- metamorphic complex of the Moslavacka gora differed, and the relief was created by an oleic accumulation that has all the features of the sloped relief. The majority of valleys, which are the consequence of more recent radial ground movements and surface flooding, have reflected themselves in the great meaning and complex character of water. In the extensive water issue, there are important questions about the easement of subsurface valleys and water supply. Within the entire zone of parapodalistic rocks, hydrogenation of the earth is a common appearance, occurring alongside larger rivers. Due to the intense hydrogenation, the soil isn’t usable for intensive agricultural production, so ameliorative procedures are necessary. The majority of parapodalistic soil, which coincides with higher zones, is of good quality and has relatively few limitations as far as choice of culture is concerned, so they are foreseen as the main zones of intensive farming. The highest portions of the County are, and will remain, forested areas. The natural features are diverse, and they give the entire county area a special appearance and offer the opportunity of economic development. The valleys alongside the rivers Cesma and Ilova, and their streams, are economically opportune. The general climatic features are a reflection of the County position and its openness towards the northeast. The consequence of that is a greater effect of the continental climate (lower winter temperatures, less precipitation, significant winds from the N and NE). 2.3.2. Soil An important natural resource of the Bjelovar-bilogora County is fertile soil, that is, arable agricultural area. With its area of 263919 ha, the Bjelovar-bilogora County accounts for 4.66% of the total area of the Republic of Croatia. The majority of the county (57.9%) is agricultural land spreading over an area of 152290 ha (5% of the total agricultural land in Croatia), of which a very large percentage, 94.7% or 144725 ha, is arable land, which accounts for 7.8% of the arable land in the Republic of Croatia. The geomorphic group of soils, or the litho-geological, relief and hydrological characteristics of the soil, along with the present climate conditions significantly affect the widespread vegetation and the way of using the land. It is important, because of that, to use individual areas, that is, to raise cultures that have a predisposition to the soil in question, and to prevent the irrational or inappropriate use of the most valuable agricultural land for other purposes. Valuable arable soil Valuable arable soil has relatively few restrictions for field production of plants. Level and slightly slanted (up to 5%) loamy soils can be included in this group of soils. Watering is minimal on these soils, and they hold little water. The physical characteristics of the soil for water are mostly good. Because of a significant appearance of dust and an increased packing of soil under the ground level, loosening of the soil is needed. The soil is very appropriate for field production of plants. Moisture deficit appears often in the summer months. With a watering system, regular agro-technical measures and sporadic drainage, this soil could provide varied, high-quality, stable production. Man has a lot of influence on the development of these soils. Human action is especially emphasized nowadays, and larger anthropic effects are expected in the future, because more significant interventions are expected. Many anthropic procedures changed the soil of this area. Forest clearing and soil processing, especially on slanted lands, lead to the washing away of soil, to the process of erosion. Some individual vineyards have changes in soil so radical, that they have completely lost the typical land characteristics of their area. Regulation of the water situation in the area lead to significant changes in the irrigation regime of soils in the flatlands, especially in river valleys. By raising the levees, and the deepening, widening and corrugating the flow of the Ilova, Cesma, and some of the adjacent waterways, the real danger of flooding in the area has been removed, or at least significantly decreases. If the area did flood, the water would spend less time on the soil, because the defined measures would be used to speed up the evacuation of the surplus water, which is beneficial for the soil and vegetation (meadows). 2.3.3. Forests The Bjelovar-bilogora County has an extremely balanced relationship between area, quality and condition of forests and forestland, even a balanced area layout. A forested area of 36% of the total county area qualifies the area as mid-forested. In relation to the total area of the county of 263667 hectare, forests cover 95455 hectares, which represents a 36% forest covering of the county, which is the same percentage that the Republic of Croatia has. The total forested area of the county accounts for 4.6% of the total forested area in the Republic of Croatia. Forests are a significant national treasure, and have been systematically monitored for over a century. The beginning of organized forestry in the Bjelovar-Podravina region, and so in the Bjelovar-bilogora County, was in 1874. That year, the Durdevac and Krizevci property offices, based in Bjelovar, were established, and they managed the woods. The property office in Durdevac controlled 39562 ha, the Krizevci property office controlled 29 320 ha, while the government controlled the remaining 39 160 ha of forests. At the end of the 19th century in the Bjelovar-Krizevci County, a total of 84.5% of workers were directly employed in the exploitation of the forests, and not a single lumber mill nor wood product company existed at the time. That state caused the ruin of the forest treasure. Lumber was exported to France, Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Czech Republic, Italy and other countries as a raw material, and rarely as a finished product. Today, of the total forested area in the county, government owned forests, managed by “Hrvatske Sume”, with 10 branches (Bjelovar, Cazma, Ivanska, Garesnica, Daruvar, Sirac, Dulovac, Grubisno Polje, Veliki Grdevac, Velika Pisanica within the framework of the Head office in Bjelovar), amount to 83 255 ha, while privately owned forests are represented by the unreliable number of 12 200 ha. It should be emphasised that privately owned forests, fragmented and devastated, aren’t even close to the quality of those owned by “Hrvatske Sume”. The majority of privately owned forests have been transformed into forests of low growth, or tree stumps, which are used for the production of firewood. There are also acacia forests, which are clear-cut every 4 to 5 years for vineyard posts, and they also renew themselves through tree stumps.